


To The Fairest

by classysleuth



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Zatanna (Comics)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angst, Batfamily (DCU), Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, Dick Grayson Needs a Hug, F/M, Fairy Tale Elements, Gen, Happy Ending, Jason Todd is Robin, Mystery, Women Being Awesome, pseudo time travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:08:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 45,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27317533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/classysleuth/pseuds/classysleuth
Summary: In this thrilling mystery, the mystical Zatanna wow’s audiences while solving crimes with the help of her new sidekick, Batman. Co-starring in this narrative are the youngest world’s finest trio Robin, Robin, and Supergirl. Will they be able to return a Talon to his nest or will bird’s fly?
Relationships: Bruce Wayne/Zatanna Zatara, Dick Grayson & Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne, Jason Todd/Kara Zor-El
Kudos: 13
Collections: DCU Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

“You know, I don’t think even the crazes in Gotham would want to steal a piece of mummified fruit.” Jason shifted his cellphone on his shoulder, he leaned back in the Bat computer’s chair trying to make himself more comfortable for the long haul. On the monitor was the security footage of the interior of the Metropolis Museum of Nature History, “unusual finds”, hall, from the evening before.

According to Supergirl, or according to the Metropolis PD Detective Sawyer, Kara hadn’t gotten around to viewing the footage herself before of some massive alien invasion had been happening in downtown Metropolis, Jason glanced at the timestamp on the monitor in thirty minutes the security camera would cut out.

Thirty minutes wouldn’t be the longest time he’d reviewed footage on a case where he wasn’t actually going to see anything of relevance. Bruce had trained him to be meticulous in collecting information. He’d always say you never know what you’re going to miss. Next there would checking the rest of the security footage and then combing the day’s of footage for potential suspects.

If he had any actual clues to the identity of the thief, he could run the footage through the Batcomputer. However, there was that alien invasion that needed to be dealt with. Supergirl hadn’t finished her interview with Detective Sawyer and Detective Sawyer hadn’t gotten around to filing her police report.

Detective work never stopped being exactly as monotonous as Bruce described when Jason had ended up in this gig.

Not that there wasn’t anything else for Jason to be doing for the moment, just like the last three months.

“Don’t you humans consider dried fruit a treat?” Jason rolled his eyes at Kara’s joke. If he could ignore the – he didn’t actually know what the aliens were blasting at Kara. They didn’t sound like any of the unconventional weapons he’d dealt with in Gotham. She was invulnerable most of the time so her little grunts of … exertion couldn’t have been pain.

One time last year he’d called her during a solo stakeout mostly out of boredom, not loneliness, since then they’d shared a few stakeouts together. Kara like having an extra set of eyes, as much as she loved doing detective work. Jason was pretty sure it was as far from her calling in life as being an ax murderer was. Jason always liked the company when Bruce wasn’t around.

Like now.

“Mummification isn’t the same as dried fruit.” Yeah, Jason didn’t glance over at the Cave’s comm when he thought about Bruce being out there without backup. Bruce had been on his own every evening for the three months Jason’s team up with the Titans. Jason wasn’t thinking about how long it would take to get to Metropolis. “Besides most normal humans don’t consider it a treat, more of a snack.”

There was a long pause where Kara didn’t respond, which was normal, very normal, even super aliens couldn’t keep up with a conversation while fighting off waves of invading aliens.

“Tell me about the apple...err.” Jason glanced down at the notes he’d written on his arm when she’d unexpectedly called him a few hours ago. He and Bruce had been having a tense dinner which Jason had been saved from by the call and the case, “The Temptation of Flame-bird?”

All Jason heard on the phone was her breathing fast and heavy and Jason’s attention wasn’t entirely focused on the Robin Cycle now or trying to calculate how long it would take him to get down town Metropolis during an alien invasion. If Bruce were here, he’d probably know.

“Well, you know, this sort of reminds me of a Kryptonian fairy tale. Thara, one of my friends, loved that story.”

Jason leaned back into the chair letting go of the phone, he’d somehow started clutching. “One of your Kryptonian friends, the religious one.”

Kara made a sound of agreement, “I’m going to have to let you go.” She must have heard him stop breathing because she quickly added, ”Don’t worry Kal’s finished off their leader, looks like they’re going to be surrendering. I’ll drop by after things calm down here.”

“Okay,” Jason tried to keep his voice as light as hers was. “Tell the big man I said hi.” Kara giggled as she hung up.

“That was a witty one there Robin,” Jason told himself while trying to focus back on the footage. From the camera’s angle Jason could see a lot in the hall that the more dramatic types of criminals would be interested in. He’d been listing them off to Kara. More feline themed memorable than even Selina would know what to do with (Jason hadn’t considered sending her a few pamphlets about that particular exhibit, not at all), a centuries old riddle box that according to rumors had never been solved (if the Riddler wasn’t enjoying his stay in Arkham he’d have probably already gone for that one), and the list got weirder as Jason had continued reading.

Kara had filled him in on a few of the Metropolis rogues tastes as he’d started randomly making commentary on the various exhibits that wouldn’t have interested Gotham’s rogues.

The one item in the hall that didn’t fit the list was the Flame-bird’s Temptation.

Jason had been surprised to see a mummified apple encased in, according to the museum’s website and an on-line journal, a paper thin layer of pure gold. Jason wondered why the object had interested the archaeological community.

The workmanship wasn’t impressive. He’d seen better covered candied apples.

There was an archaic Germanic phase etched into the gold the researchers couldn’t identify the origin of or a translation for. From what Jason had read, his guess was as good as the professionals.

According to the journals the artifact had been been found in a part of eastern Europe where the locals believed in a legend about a magical apple (golden if Jason couldn’t have guessed) that granted the eater of the apple the knowledge of – this was where the various stories all started breaking down. Was it knowledge of the past and the future, good and evil, there were about a dozen different version of all the standard cliches. Tagged along with the knowledge was the also standard curse about being consumed by that knowledge.

There was one aspect of the duality of the knowledge the apple granted that had caught Jason’s attention. The terminology in every single one of the stories (as translation in the archaeological journals) understanding of the self. Jason had found the distinction interesting even if the stories didn’t portray how the hero learning his light and darkness or his past and future was the key to: saving his father in one, saving/winning the princess in over half, and saving the entire kingdom, (well, in the versions he wasn’t damning them all with his new terrible perspectives of himself).

To finish it all off there was a dragon tied to every single one of the stories, the Flame-Bird. Guardian, thief, or tempter, except in one of the stories, the story Kara had found intriguing. In that story the Flame-Bird had been all three. Kara had told him that’s how the Kryptonian version of the Flame-Bird’s Lament was told.

So far Jason hadn’t done more than a quick glance over that aspect of the case. Fairy tale centered villains weren’t the standard fair for Metropolis. Gotham’s people had particular stories or collections they were obsessed with. Generic fairy tales had never been Jason’s thing. The Flame-Bird’s Lament was possibly the biggest collection of fairy tales. He wasn’t looking forward to going combing through all those stories looking for clues to the thief.

If things went well, Jason wouldn’t have to bother too much with the fairy tales. He was planning on having Kara take point on the mythological side of the case. Bruce wouldn’t approve of leaving a potential critical aspect of an investigation in the hands of one of the Supers. Or of Superman, Jason had to amend. He wasn’t entirely sure if Bruce’s bias against Superman was shared with Supergirl.

Other than Jason’s distaste for fairy tales he had other reasons for Kara handling that aspect of the case. While the Kryptonian’s version of the story didn’t perfectly match any of the earth versions, it was entirely possible the interpretation of the stories would be similar. Seeing how Kara was already invested in the stories behind the Flame-Bird’s Lament that knowledge would give her a head start over Jason.

There was the unlikely possibly Kara was a potential target of the thief. It seemed oddly coincidental an artifact with the same name and story to one of Kara’s home world favorites had been stolen from Kara’s city. If that unlikely possibility was true then Kara looking over the stories and the history of the Flame-Bird’s Lament would be even more significant.

According to Supergirl’s interrupted interview with Detective Sawyer, the Metropolis PD was positive once they’d figured out how the crime was committed they’d have their culprit. That’s how crimes were solved in Metropolis. Follow the pulsing negative-space trail of the culprit. Jason would have never believed there was a police department more incompetent than the GCPD. At least, the GCPD would laugh in your face if they weren’t going to bother with an investigation. The Metropolis PD lied about how an investigation was impossible because some of the video footage was edited.

Jason could be judging the Metropolis PD a little harshly. Ever since Superman showed up, the majority of their crimes were caused by obvious meta humans who kicked in, ripped off or incinerated the front door of their target. The Metropolis PD just wasn’t prepared to deal with a more subtle theft. Still it showed they were incompetent and corrupt. It wasn’t like the Metropolis PD wasn’t against their super heroes dealing with the crime as opposed to doing it themselves.

In the case of this theft there hadn’t been any indication of meta human activity. Even if for some bizarre reason there was the possibility of mind control being involved, Detective Sawyer hadn’t mentioned the meta angle to Kara. There would also have been some mention on social media. So far most of the posts about the museum reflected Jason’s thoughts on the subject, if a bit more colorfully.

Jason was back to the real question of the investigation: Why would anyone have bothered stealing a gold plated mummified piece of fruit?

Motive was how they were going to solve the case.

Starting with the most common of motives: a disenfranchised professional. In Gotham this was the leading cause of super villainy. Usually they’d take it a little further than a simple theft and flaunt their displeasure more publicly. Since the theft was last night, there was time for all of that. Except from what Jason had been able to find so far, everyone involved in the dig was credited for the discovery. The other researchers and scholars involved in the processing of the apple were also credited.

The apple itself wasn’t breaking news in the archaeological community at present. According to the journals there were five other archaeological finds of a similar nature. Jason didn’t even want to know what were currently capturing the attention of the community at present.

There was the possibility the discovery’s lead, Eve Gardener, wanted more publicity over another researcher who’d taken a shine to the apple. Everyone involved in the initial discovery were currently spread across Europe and involved in other major digs.

Not that the option wasn’t impossible and not that Jason wasn’t going to have to look into each researcher. Right now it the most unlikely motive.

Now to the most popular of motives: money. Jason was pretty sure the tour guide’s earrings were worth more than five Flame-Bird’s Laments. If that somehow wasn’t the case and the apple was worth a fortune, a thief would have to go through five floors of priceless artifacts several of which would be significantly easier to fence. All Flame-Bird’s Lament had going for it was it’s size and a penny’s worth of gold.

A contract for a personal collector was one option. The option was highly likely. Now that he was thinking about it, Jason couldn’t believe he hadn’t had the Bat computer running a search for local and international thieves in the security footage. Amateur mistake.

Jason pulled up the search engine on the Bat computer. Keeping half his attention on the security footage, he still had twenty-five minutes till the anti-climatic ending. He put in his search parameters. With the information he had known thieves seemed to be the best bet. Tomorrow he’d have more information to add.

Of course, as he finished his task turning, Jason considered his attention back to the monitor. There was the distinct possibility that instead of a collector, the hypothetical thief was hired by someone who wanted to use the mystical ‘powers’ of the Flame-Bird’s Lament. Weirder motives existed.

Jason drummed his fingers on the keyboard.

While Jason hadn’t seen much in the way of magic as Robin, he did know when Bruce had enough evidence to be persuaded magic was involved Bruce contacted Zatanna. So far nothing in the case pointed to there actually being any magic. None of the journals mentioned the researchers taking a bit out of the apple to see if the stories were true. Zatanna would know the people who would be interested in potential mystical relics and how to find them.

A loud roar of a motorcycle filled the Cave. Jason tensed. Bruce had taken the Batmobile this evening, like every other evening. Jason hadn’t been informed anyone else was going to show up. A motorcycle would mean Black Canary or Green Arrow. Bruce would have mentioned either of them stopping by. Jason was pretty sure Green Arrow wasn’t allowed in the Cave unless he was supervised.

Half a second later the security alert flashed on the lower screen indicating Nightwing was in the tunnel.

“Thanks for the heads up,” Jason leaned back in the chair trying not to be relieved. Because, of course, Nightwing couldn’t be bothered with contacting anyone before he decided to show up. Dick had promised he’d talk to Bruce for Jason about the Titans three months ago. So far that hadn’t happened or if it did Jason seriously misinterpreted Dick’s intentions.

Why was Dick even here?

Given the timing of his visit, Dick might be trying to sneak into the Cave without running into Bruce. For what Jason had no idea. All of Dick’s belongs were in New York now. After the big blow out with Bruce over – Kara had pointed out Jason didn’t actual know exactly what the fight had been about. Sure Dick had given Jason his spare Robin suit and a phone number “to talk about Bruce”. That seemed all legit but Jason could always tell when people didn’t think he was good enough. Dick wasn’t even pretending he thought Jason was good enough to be Robin.

Dick’s opinions weren’t important because Jason was Robin or would be once Bruce started letting him out of the Cave again.

Really, Jason didn’t even care why Dick was here. That wasn’t entirely true Dick could be mind controlled again. Even if being mind controlled was a reoccurring problem in their line of work, it happened enough to Bruce, Dick couldn’t have gotten mind controlled that often.

He was probably here to ambush Bruce about the Justice League being involved in Titan business. Jason had overheard Superman talking to Bruce about the whole Brother Blood mess a few weeks ago. The League may have disavowed the Titans or something. Jason was hoping that wasn’t the case because Donna had implied she’d considered him for another team up.

The motorcycle turned off. Jason focused back on his case. Because he really didn’t care.

Still nothing happening on the security footage. Jason wished Kara would get to the Cave soon, not because he was hearing footsteps approaching him and he needed a buffer between him and Dick. Jason wanted her here because watching security footage was boring. They needed to go over the case too. Waiting for nothing to happen was the ideal time for shop talk.

Jason could call Zatanna now. Her show was starting in an hour. While she couldn’t give him any information on the apple, Jason could set up an appointment with her, probably after her show. If they did get the after show meeting, there wasn’t a reason Jason couldn’t take Kara to the show. Kara was fascinated by Earth’s illusionary arts. Krypton wasn’t big on magic shows. Jason had been meaning to take her to see Zatanna when the show had was in town. This was the perfect opportunity to-

“What are we looking for?” Jason was out of the chair before the intruder finished speaking. All he had on him was his old switch blade, which couldn’t be that useful against someone who’d gotten past the Batcave’s security, Jason still pulled it out as he faced the intruder.

Standing in front of him, with a thousand watt smile, was Robin.

Robin from ten years ago.

“I like what you’ve done with the costume,” Robin chirped pointing towards the display case past Jason’s shoulder.

Jason tried to think of a response. His mind was blanking on witty comebacks with what was even happening. The Robin couldn’t be Clayface, for a number of reason that started with Clayface didn’t know where the Batcave was and ended with Clayface was currently a mud puddle in Arkham.

The obvious answer was toxins. Except Jason hadn’t been anywhere other than school for three months. It was entirely possible for Jason to have been infected at school or even from Bruce returning from patrol. It just didn’t seem likely even with a time delay. Jason didn’t have any hang ups over baby-bird Dick Grayson. Even if he was gassed with fear toxin he shouldn’t be seeing anything like this.

Maybe the Mad Hatter was involved.

“Speedy’s been telling me I’ve needed pants since we meet,” Robin said as he turned from Jason to examine Jason’s notes around the Bat-computer. Showing his back to someone with a knife. Playing at being non-hostile. Seemed like a Dick thing to do. Jason watch the kid shifting the notes around. Bruce would have done that. Not Dick.

“Did Batman come up with the design?” Robin plopped down in the chair as he spoke with a few of Jason’s notes in his hands and his eyes on the monitor. Jason felt himself involuntary twitch. Yelling at the hallucination about how it should mess with his case would be playing into whatever delusion was going on here. If it wasn’t a delusion then Jason shouldn’t be yelling at a nine year old.

“It took me forever to make him see how I could fight crime in my old costume.” Robin put a lot of enthusiasm on the last part because not many people knew the Robin costume was based off of the Flying Grayson uniform. If he wanted to prove who he was that would be a good starting point. Jason sighed.

“Robin spun around on the chair, Jason could practically hear Bruce’s response to that maneuver. Looking up at Jason with the eagerness as he spoke, “The yellow is still there. I know Bruce hated it. Did you come up with the change? Did I come up with the change? Did pants start being that important to me?”

“Dick.” Jason put the knife up. Baby-bird Dick showing up was more plausible than any of the other options Jason could come up with for what was happening.

Robin’s smile went up a few more watts, “You do know who I am. At first I thought I was in another dimension. Except all my codes worked. They couldn’t work in another dimension could they.”

Jason could see some hesitation growing behind Robin – Dick’s smile, like he was looking to Jason for conformation.

Was that even weird? Sure Dick now looking to Jason for guidance would have been more bizarre than seeing Baby-bird Dick; however, a nine year old out of time wanting conformation from Jason should have been expected. Jason could handle this. He’d spent months trying to prove to Bruce he could handle things. Jason wasn’t going to mess up an opportunity when it showed itself.

“Hate to tell you. Bruce probably has the same codes across the multiverse. It isn’t like he bothered changing them when you left.” Jason considered what he was saying for a moment, “that’s all the spoilers you’re going to get out of me.”

Dick gave Jason the most pathetic pout Jason had ever seen. Why was he doing that? Pouts couldn’t possibly work on Bruce. Why would Dick think they were going to work on Jason? “You have to give me a clue so I’ll know if I’m in my future or in alternative me’s future?”, Robin whined up at Jason.

“Would there even be a difference?” Jason had read enough of Bruce’s notes on Flash’s mishaps with the time-stream to have an understanding of how malleable the future was.

Maybe Dick was too young to have read the notes or too young for the notes to have existed. Jason reminded himself there was nothing weird about that. Jason had heard enough about how intelligent Dick had been at nine for him to be tricked into thinking Dick didn’t have an idea that he could be changing his own future.

“Yes!” Dick threw his arms open at his exclamation sending Jason’s notes everywhere.

“Really.” Jason challenged Dick. “Because you knowing the type of future you’re in isn’t going to help you get back where you belong.” If Dick was from the future there was the possibility he was de-aged. There was a thing that apparently happened to superheroes. “You can trust me when I say there isn’t anything here for you to change when you get back.” That was the truth. Even if there was Jason didn’t think he wanted his fate in the hands of a nine year old’s.

“Please. You have to know something that will let me know without changing the future.” Dick pleaded. Jason hadn’t known how the Robin mask could make your eyes look so much bigger and more pathetic. Dick was right, there were probably a few things Jason could tell him that wouldn’t alter the future, if the kid was even from the past.

“Alfred has a daughter.” Jason smiled. His reveal had Dick gasping with shock. Finding out about Alfred’s daughter had left Jason in a similar state.

“Remember you can’t tell anyone.” Jason said once Dick seemed over his shock.

Dick nodded solemnly, “I won’t tell anyone.”

Kids like Dick liked to keep secrets. Even if he didn’t keep this one all that would happen was that Dick would find out about Julia a little sooner.

“Okay. Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way. You need to pick up my notes.” Jason said as he pointed to the notes scattered around the Cave floor. He was surprised to see Dick duck his head and...was he blushing. “After that you’re going to tell me everything that happened to you before and after you ended up here.”

Dick gave Jason a sharp nod and started picking up the notes. Given how chatty Dick had been, Jason had expected more than a nod. Not back talk exactly. Not that it mattered Jason guessed. Turning away from Dick towards the Bat-computer and the security footage Jason returned to his case.

When Kara got here she’d tell him the situation with Dick was more urgent than the case she’d brought him. She’d want to help. Given her contacts with several scientists nontraditional research and her own knowledge she’d probably be more helpful with Dick’s situation than her own case. Jason bit his lip. He didn’t know why he couldn’t do both cases. Bruce did multiple cases all the time. It wasn’t like Jason was going to be the lead on this one when Bruce got back.

If he got enough of the groundwork done before Bruce got back from patrol, then Bruce would have to keep him on the case. This was his opportunity to get back to being Robin.

“Are we going to call Bruce?” Dick asked at Jason elbow while offering Jason his notes back. Jason accepted the notes while trying to figure out Dick’s tone. Now that Dick wasn’t as animated as earlier Jason was having trouble reading him.

“Thanks. Not unless you want me too. He should be back in a few hours. I wanted to make as much headway as we can before he gets here.” Jason should have considered Dick wanting to talk to Bruce.

“We’re going to be working together.” Dick beamed up at Jason as he spoke, vibrating with excitement. “Do you think we’re going to be able to solve my case before Bruce gets back?”

That was a change of mood Jason hadn’t been expecting. Mark another one for the weirdness side of this. Jason was pretty sure Dick had wanted to be joined at the hip with Bruce when he’d started as Robin. Jason had. Even now, even after working with the Titans and Kara, he preferred working with Bruce.

Jason was saved from crushing Dick’s hopes by the warning system going off for the second time this evening. Not even a record, Jason thought distantly as he saw Supergirl flashing across the screen.

“Superman has a sidekick.” Dick tugged on Jason’s hand attempting to drag Jason towards the Batcave’s entrance, to go see Kara, speaking of spoilers about the future. Dick had moved from vibrating with excitement to bouncing with it. Jason could handle this. Jason was going to show Bruce he could handle Robin.


	2. Chapter 2

“Oh...is it an egg?” Jo Alcott whispered in awe. She stared down with reverence on the crystalline sphere pulsing with violent tinted magical energies, cradled against her chest.

Zatanna smiled mischievously as she addressed her mystified fan. “Yes. This egg is a special egg given to me by one of my closest friends. You can already see its magical. For this egg to hatch it needs someone with a pure-heart to give it lots of love and attention. With my career and being a hero, I don’t have the time to watch over the egg. If the egg doesn’t have the love it needs,” Zatanna lowered her voice dramatically, “a monster will hatch and devour the world.”

Jo pulled the egg closer towards her own heart, much to Zatanna’s delight.

“I’ve been searching the whole world for someone to hatch this egg. Tonight I meet you.”

Jo’s eyes widened.

“Your mother told me how responsible you’ve been helping her take care of your sister, Beth, during her procedures. I knew that you were the type of person who could hatch this egg.”

Jo drew herself up to look Zatanna square in the eye and spoke with a determined voice, “I won’t let you down, Zatanna.”

“I know you won’t,” Zatanna answered Jo with the solemness required after such a promise. The air itself shimmered even without Zatanna having sealed Jo’s oath, wasn’t that the way the kid was taking this, with magic.

With the seriousness out of the way, Zatanna gave another mischievous smile and said, “now go show your sister your new charge.”

Jo rushed over to her sister’s wheelchair with an eagerness the girl hadn’t had in months. Mrs. Alcott had told Zatanna at the beginning of the show how worried she’d been for her daughter. Both girls quietly cooed over the egg as Jo delicately placed the egg over her sister’s heart, since her sister wasn’t able to do it for herself. Zatanna had a feeling if her story about the egg had been true, she had given it to just the right child.

“That kid’s got to much responsibility.” Zatanna nodded in agreement to Mikey’s assessment of Jo Alcott.

“Did the Alcotts’ sign the consent form?” Usually Zatanna would have waited for the parental consent before giving children magical items, harmless or not, this time had been a special case.

“You are lucky they did. Because you’d be the one dealing with all the tears if that kid didn’t get to keep that “magical” egg, boss.” Mikey handed Zatanna the consent form with more derision than she’d spoken with.

“I’m insulted with your insinuation that I’d lie about the egg being magical.” Zatanna gave Mikey a playful smirk far too pleased with the outcome to worry with fallout that wasn’t going to happen. If Beth’s heart wasn’t pure, then the egg would hatch into an ugly little beast that wouldn’t last long. That outcome would be Beth’s parent’s problem.

“Why the risk? Usual you have the Make A Wish kid’s siblings your second assistant for the show.” Mikey questioned.

“You decided to help another pair of siblings. How sweet.” Mikey must have disproved more than Zatanna had thought for her to bring out the sarcasm. “Next time fill out the paperwork.”

“Can do.” Zatanna shouldn’t have said that as chipper as she had because Mikey didn’t look convinced at all or maybe it was because she knew Zatanna too well. On to a safer topic. “How much longer till the next showtime?”

Mikey opened her mouth to be interrupted by Zatanna’s Justice League communicator going off. Wasn’t that a surprise. This morning hadn’t started with any world ending news. After a few times of her show being unnecessary delayed. Zatanna had been clear her show time shouldn’t be interrupted for anything less than the end of the world. Magical consulting wasn’t the same as scientific consulting. Clues with magic could quite possibly last a life time. There was rarely a need for a rush.

“This is Zatanna.” Mikey stepped away pointing to her wrist watch as she moved. Thirty minutes. Zatanna nodded. It wasn’t a lot of time to close the show down but it also wasn’t the worse time to stop a show.

“Nightwing has been reverted into a child.” Batman growled over the communicator. Speaking about problems Zatanna hadn’t wanted to get in the middle of...

“Reverted into a child or is a child. Usually you’re more exact in your details when you have a problem of my persuasion,” Zatanna kept her voice light and calm.

The distinction between the two problems wasn’t entirely accurate from the vocabulary sense. Then when you have non-native English speakers working on your terminology there going to be a few flaws. In this case reverted to a child meant de-aging or is a child meant time-travel. Zatanna hadn’t yet run into a situation were a de-aging needed to be urgently reversed; however, there were times when time-travel could be tricky to deal with. Neither was what a superhero would consider urgent emergencies.

Bruce certainly wouldn’t if it had been anyone other than his own kids.

Too say Bruce was sensitive about his kids before the Cult of Blood was an understatement. After the Cult of Blood saying Bruce was sensitive about his kids was the same as saying dark magic needed a few drops of blood.

If she even implied Bruce should wait until the end of her next show their friendship would be over.

“I haven’t been able to do more than confirm he is Nightwing. I’m in route to the Cave. Robin has taken his preliminary statement. When you arrive at the Cave he will inform you of the situation. I’ll be there shortly.”

“See you there.” Zatanna wasn’t shocked when he cut off his transmission before she could reply.

Mikey walked back over with her clipboard ready for the inevitable.

“Give me five minutes,” Zatanna began before Mikey could ask if they were canceling the show. “If I’m lucky I’ll bring back a big name for the finale.”

Mikey pointed at her watch in reply. “I’ll give you twenty-five.”

“You’re not going to wish me luck.” Zatanna adjusted her top hat. Dick as Robin, again. This had the possibility of being pretty fun for everyone. The kid had natural talent as a performer. If they didn’t wrap up the situation this evening, Zatanna was going to bring him along to help with a show. She’d need to figure out something for Jason later. Zatanna didn’t care for getting that far ahead of herself.

“No. Your last big finale had us run out of Vegas.”

“Aw, I thought you’d love that since you hated Gotham so much.” Mickey was exaggerating ever so slightly about being run out of Vegas. Zatanna’s finale wasn’t actually the reason they’d gotten run out of Vegas.

“I love eating. You’ve got twenty-four now.”

Zatanna dramatically rolled her eyes. “Have it your way. Don’t blame me when the crowd disappears because you wanted a boring finale.”

With a wink to an unimpressed Micky Zatanna invoked a few words for transportation of the magical persuasion. “Ot eht evac-tab.”

* * *

By virtue of being one of the few magicians Bruce considered trustworthy, and more importantly competent Zatanna had the opportunity to install the majority of the Batcave’s wards against mystical assaults. He had tried to pay her for the service knowing the value without understanding the payment method: access into his inner sanctum was payment enough. Magic didn’t care if he was planning on allowing her access because she was an ally and would have to renew the wards on a regular basis. To make things easier, Zatanna had asked for dinner as payment. That had been the beginning of a lovely payment plan.

The Batcave’s wards opened to greet her as if she’d been their owner’s oldest friend. In a way Zatanna supposed she was. In his pursuit for vengeance he’d left most of the people he’d known behind. If Zatanna wasn’t involved in the superhero life, she wouldn’t have been around to have stayed his friend.

Zatanna materialized in the center of the Batcave in a perfectly practiced theatrical bow surrounded by a burst of glittering lights. Before she could speak or even straighten, a heavy weight landed on her back from above. “You remembered.” The weight went along with a voice Zatanna hadn’t heard since Dick had hit puberty.

“Of course. I’d never forget my best assistance’s preferences.” When teleporting into the Cave, Zatanna usually went with smoke to mark her arrival. The wards preferred the ambiance not be disturbed. When the kids were going to be there, she liked to liven things up a bit.

Dick crawled around her like the little monkey he’d been to give her a hug from the front without actually having to let go of her. Zatanna had forgotten what a sweet thing he’d been. Looks like she wasn’t going to have to ask if the regression was more than psychical. Dick Grayson had out grown the monkey impression by twelve. The last she’d seen of him he’d become more reserved, more like Bruce.

The reach of the regression was more than psychical or mental. Since Dick Grayson had joined the new Teen Titans, his aura was tainted with the darker energies of his demonic witch friend, Raven. Here in her arms she couldn’t detect any hint of the interdeminsional demon on him. She felt a rush of relief at the prospect. If magic was involved, then maybe that part of him wouldn’t be coming back.

“Did you know Superman has an older cousin?”, Dick stage whispered into her ear with a familiar excitement Zatanna hadn’t realized she’d missed. Supergirl being here would explain how Dick had landed on top of her. “We’ve worked together a few times.” Zatanna spoke as she looked up to greet Kara.

Kara waved in return.

“Jumping out of people’s arms without warning is rude,” Kara scolded Dick when she’d landed gently in front of Zatanna. Rude was probably a better deterrent than dangerous for Dick. “How did you even know she was there?”

Dick jumped off Zatanna. Wasn’t she grateful. This whole experience was reminding her of her age.

“Magic has a ripple,” Dick explained to Kara using his hands to illustrate the magic’s ripple before a spell’s intended effect could be enacted on the environment. As a magic user, Zatanna’s ability to sense magic itself prevented her from detecting the current ripple. To her knowledge Bruce and his Robins were the few people who could notice the ripple. Maybe a part of Bruce’s eastern training. Zatanna didn’t have as much experience with the martial arts from that part of the world.

“What if it hadn’t been Zatanna? How were you going to deal with landing on Morganna le Fay?” Jason reprimanded Dick with more intensity than the Zatanna would have expected of him. Even though his edges were sharper than Dick Grayson’s, Zatanna had never seen Jason being anything more than gentle with children.

“With the wards I have set up, the Phantom Stranger would have been Dick’s landing mat before le Fay. He would have been amused.” Zatanna interjected with a smile for Dick who had deflated. “Bruce said you were going to give me the rundown of the situation.”

Jason nodded seriously when he reported. Zatanna detected a hint of excitement in his voice, not from dissimilar to Dick’s. “Dick arrived in the Batcave at approximately eight o’clock,” the kid actually blushed when he didn’t know the exact time. Off to the side she could hear Dick asking Kara who the Phantom Stranger was. How young was Dick now?

“He arrived though the main entrance-”

“Okay,” Zatanna interrupted, “I’m not Batman. Just give me your opinion of the situation. I’ll ask questions if I need more information.” Even if she didn’t have a show, Bruce’s reporting style had always been a waste of time for her. Magic didn’t sweat the details.

“We’re,” Jason hesitated stealing a quick glance at Kara,” undecided on if he’s reverted or himself out of time.”

“He arrived in his Robin uniform. Jason thinks…” Kara paused giving Jason an encouraging smile.

“Given the baby-bird,” Dick giggled at the nickname, “was near the Wingcycle, we hypothesize whatever occurred to him affected present day Dick. Since he was wearing his Robin uniform, I initially considered time travel. Kara was unable to detect any temporal energies on the baby-bird or at the site where we believe the event occurred.”

“Is detecting time-travel part of the Kryptonian superpower set?” Zatanna asked for clarification.

“Not that Kal or I knew of. After the League’s third encounter with time-traveling assassins Kal created a device to detect temporal energies. The devise is still in the testing phase. So far all the tests Kal’s run with Booster Gold have worked,” Kara explained. An experimental device was probably as accurate as they were going to need for this.

“One more question before you continue,” Zatanna began before Jason could return to his less Batman style rundown of events. “Where do you believe the event occurred?” She was fairly certain where however she wanted to keep the facts straight.

“A mile out on the main route from the Batcave. The baby-bird didn’t find signs of a collusion at the site and Kara verified when she was checking for the temporal energies.” Jason added Zatanna’s next question to his explain without having been asked. “We were working under the impression they were switched before Kara’s temporal checks came back negative. We checked the data base at that point. There were five cases of reversions where the victims’ clothing was reverted with the victim.”

“All caused by magic,” Zatanna finished. “That’s why Bruce called me in.”

She’d worked on all five of those cases.

Youth spells weren’t the preferred method of attack by any magical user. Nor were long term ones. The price required for a youth spell was too high for most magicians to pay for themselves, alone to use against their enemies.

Because of this most magical users preferred to use temporary youth salves to keep themselves young. Three of the Justice League reversion cases were the equivalent of the hero falling into a witch’s beauty cream.

In those three cases, there was little Zatanna needed to do. Modern youth salves required a spell to seal the effects after the user had bathed in the mix. If a person inadvertently ended up falling into a vat of the salve, the age regression was temporary. Even if the salve had been sealed, breaking the spell was fairly simple. Youth and beauty weren’t meant to last even with magical influences.

One of the cases had been a curse. Even if Zatanna hadn’t been called in, would have eventually killed the target. Like with the salve, breaking the unnatural curse was simple.

The last had been the hero being hit by a burst of wild magic. Like the salve a temporary problem that hadn’t needed more than a sitter for a few days as the solution.

“We were planning on calling you after your last show. Bruce checked and got the report that Nightwing was at the Cave.”, Jason said with a huff of frustration. Zatanna remembered the feeling of frustration when your parent took over your case. Her father had done plenty of that when she’d been Jason’s age.

“You know how he worries about both of you.” Jason didn’t look impressed by Zatanna’s words though Dick nodded vigorously in agreement.

Zatanna checked her watch with a frown. Where was Bruce? She hadn’t wanted to do her part of this until he had gotten here. “Okay, I’m going to have to cut this a little short. Thanks for the briefing. If you would send me the full version I’d appreciate it. Now lets see if Dick was changed by magic or not.”

“What about Bruce?” Dick asked with hesitation looking to Jason for reinforcement. “He said he wanted to be here for this part.” There was a shared hesitation there.

“He’s about ten minutes out,” Kara informed them with a glance towards the entrance of the Batcave. Ten minutes Zatanna didn’t have. Sorry Bruce.

“Good for us he’s going to be a bit late. You know how he gets in the way,” Zatanna said with a wink to Dick. Dick beamed back at her. “This is our case. We don’t need Bruce here,” Dick said tugging on Jason’s arm.

“Zatanna knows what she’s doing,” Kara spoke while giving Jason a soft nudge. “You’ve already done most of the preliminary work on this one. Why not this part too.”

“Okay,” Jason approved with a little bit of hesitation in his voice. Loyal kid. After her show, Zatanna and Bruce were going to have a long talk about Jason’s situation. She hadn’t wanted to be involved. The kid just didn’t deserve being grounded for three months.

“Thank you for the permission.” Zatanna locked eyes with Jason as she spoke. As expected Jason blushed and looked away. The kid needed to work on his embarrassment issues.

“Now,” Zatanna rubbed her hands together. “Dick you need to move away from everyone and everything. When I cast the spell on you, I need you to stand still. If you don’t, the spell isn’t going to work.” Zatanna remembered Dick having problems standing still the previous times she’d been called in to examine him.

“No problem,” Dick chirped as he pounced away from Jason and Kara towards Zatanna. He was mostly following instructions. Zatanna was at the center with the most free space.

“Right there,” Zatanna instructed him to stop. Past Dick, Jason was pulling a bemused Kara further into the Cave away from the casting range. How cute; this type of magic wouldn’t harm Kara even if she were the target. Zatanna gave Kara a wink. Kara didn’t respond to the wink. Then her cousin was stoic when romance was involved.

Dick had seen Zatanna’s wink. He’d turned to look at the older teens with a slight frown of confusion on his face. Zatanna guessed Catwoman hadn’t shown up yet in Dick’s timeline.

“You ready,” Zatanna spoke drawing Dick back to attention. “I’m going to do my best to make this quick for you.”

Dick gave her a brief hesitant nod. Then after taking a backward glance at the teens gave her a more definitive one.

“Stay still.” With her last reminder to Dick out of the way, Zatanna gathered the mystical energy inside of her and spoke the spell. “Flesruoy laever ot em.”

At Zatanna’s command the magical energies buried within Dick erupted out. Brilliantly colored words and runes spilled out settling around Dick in a luminous cloud.

Zatanna could see the working of three distinctive spells along with the hints and scraps of several more tangled up in each other forming a rat’s nest of overarching enchantments on Dick.

There were parts of the spells’ structures Zatanna recognized from incantations she’d learned and dealt with over the years. The unique pattern of the words and the runes were a mystery to her. Her closest guess would be the words were an ancient form of Germanic. The century they originated from was a guess. As for the runes, Zatanna hadn’t seen anything like them before.

The spell work itself was amateurish and sloppy. A completely ordinary non-magical user doing a first time attempt at thirty concurrent spells would have a better grasp of magic than the caster of this spell.

The characters used for the spells were a mix of the Germanic language and the alien runes. Ingredients where used in parts were there should have been incantations. There was no sense at all to be made of the types of magic invoked from the different parts of the spells.

Even with the mess, Zatanna could draw some pretty clear conclusions about the nature of the enchantment.

“No need to worry,” Zatanna announced releasing the enchantment from her magic. The one person who was worried wasn’t present. Explaining what Zatanna had learned about the enchantment to Bruce was going to be interesting to say the least.

“I’ll decide that,” Batman’s growl came from her left. Ten minutes had already passed. Zatanna wasn’t going to have time to hash this out with Bruce.

“Can I move now,” Dick pleaded with her. Zatanna was impressed with his patience. Dick would have seen Bruce before she’d finished her spell and the kid hadn’t moved or even spoken.

Zatanna gave him a nod. “Good job holding still.” Dick returned her praise with a blinding smile before flinging himself around Bruce’s neck.

“You didn’t change the Cave at all,” Dick chided Bruce as he shifted to keep Dick from strangling him.

Time to start her prognoses before she started laughing at Bruce’s response to Dick’s antics.

“He’s going to live. Whoever cast the enchantment didn’t seal the effects. Two or three days and he’ll be right back to his grown up self.”

During her explanation, Bruce placed Dick on the floor beside him. Leaving a hand on Dick’s shoulder for support or too keep him from running off. Zatanna assumed a little bit of both.

“It’s like we thought,” Dick exclaimed back to the teens. Kara gave Dick a thumbs up and a smile that was around Dick’s wattage. Jason’s response had significantly less enthusiasm then he was pretty focused on Bruce.

“What does the spell do?” Bruce demanded. Here was the tricky part. Explaining magic to Bruce in a non-emergency was challenge enough. Since he considered this an emergency, he was going to want more facts and for this enchantment there weren’t many.

“A return to youth,” Zatanna began her prognosis. “The enchantment of Dick is the messiest I’ve ever seen, Bruce. Three spells form the foundational power of the enchantment along with a few half-cast extras to tie everything up in a Gordian knot.

“The return spell is the most defined of the spells. What the spell intends on returning to I’m assuming is youth. I wasn’t able to decipher if the spell is a traditional youth spell or a temporal youth spell. The caster used ingredients and incantations for both types of spells in the enchantment. The elements settled around the spell.

“The final foundation spell was a spell of balance. Usually if there is a balance spell tied to a youth spell, its’ role is to keep the user from being ill affected. As you can see, the spell didn’t make it to completion.

Whoever weaved this enchantment had no idea what they were doing and had access to knowledge I shouldn’t have. We’re lucky the spell wasn’t sealed or I would be spending months trying to unravel the mess in hopes of finding a counter-spell.”

“Does that mean I am a child and not regressed,” Dick chimed in.

Zatanna sighed, “With an enchantment as messy as this one: who knows? Certainly not the original caster. I’m not sure they even know the language they were casting in.”

Dick pouted. He had reason. Since Zatanna didn’t have definitive proof he wasn’t a time-traveler, Dick was going to get treated as if he were one. That was going to put a lot of limitations on him.

“Do you know how the enchantment was placed?” Bruce took off the cowl. Zatanna frowned at how worried he looked. She had her suspensions with how he’d been acting. Staying in to take care of little Dick and spending sometime with Jason was going to be good for him. For all of them. If he’d let her, Zatanna could help around Gotham for baby-bird Dick’s stay.

Zatanna shook her head. “After my show I’ll check out the incident site. Given the nature of the spell I’m not expecting to find much there. We’ll have to wait for Dick’s to comeback for an explanation.” Or Zatanna hoped Dick would know what happened to him. This had been a harmless little spell. Whoever the caster was, they had access to knowledge that could lead to more spells being cast. Zatanna was going to deal with them before they became more of a problem.

“I hate to leave all of you on such a low note. I’ve got a show in less than two minutes. Unless you want to take the backstage tour,” Zatanna gave Bruce a flirtatious smile, “I’ll see you later this evening.”

“We’ll be here,” Bruce nodded to her. That’s what Zatanna had expected given the circumstances. Never hurts to ask.

“You’re not going,” Bruce’s face blanked in shock at Dick’s outburst. “Zatanna came all this way out to see you. You’re not going to see her show.”

“You did promise, you’d come see the show. I’ve been in Gotham for half a year. You still haven’t shown up.” Zatanna teased.

“Dick, we still don’t know the extent this enchantment has on you.” Bruce knelt down in front of Dick gripping his shoulders lightly, “I should be here with you.”

Dick pulled back from Bruce. “Jason’s here. If there’s a problem we’ll call you.” Zatanna wasn’t sure who looked more stunned by Dick’s declaration, Jason or Bruce. “I can’t show him all of my Robin tricks if you’re here.”

Bruce took a long moment considering Dick before speaking. “If you listen to Jason.”

Dick nodded with enough enthusiasm for his head to fall right off. “I’ll be good. Kara’s reviewing the videos of the robbery. I can help with that.”

Bruce looked to Jason who wasn’t quite recovered. “No timestamp,” Kara replied for Jason.

With a nod to both Jason and Dick, Bruce stood back up. “I’ll go for the show.” Bruce extended his arm to Zatanna with a flourish.

“Don’t wait up, kids.”

* * *

“Ladies and Gentlemen,” Zatanna’s voice carried over the crowd with an unnatural volume. Getting to the showing ten minutes late meant she’d had to improvise with the audio. Not that it mattered. The crowd had loved her and Bruce’s appearance in the center of the stage with the only warning being a burst of light. Zatanna usually saved her actual magic for the finale. Sometimes things couldn’t be avoided. “

“We’re going to close this evening with a little trick you’re all familiar with. Gnirb tuo eht muludnep.”

A pillar of inky black smoke appeared in the center of the stage. As it streamed into the crowd, a Gothic pendulum was revealed swinging ominously over the center of the stage. The late night crowd erupted. Zatanna feel could their excitement in the marrow of her bones.

“I’m sure your all familiar with this little trick.” In Vegas she’d have worried this was a little to traditional for a Zatanna finale. Gotham City liked their traditionalism. The trick in Gotham was making sure you weren’t using tricks they’d seen someone actually dismembered by; less because the audience would be horrified and more they were unimpressed.

“I’m sure you’re familiar with my guest from the opening act.” Zatanna turned turned dramatically towards the curtain where Bruce was, her hand extended. “Welcome my lovely assistant for the finale.”

Bruce had to be enjoying himself. His reaction to her springing an act was met with a slight frown rather than a scowl. A little magic could cheer anyone up.

“Bruce Wayne.” The crowd busted into cheers and shouts. Bruce strolled across the stage as natural as if he’d practiced. Knowing Bruce he probably had.

“I’d better be getting the full tour,” he whispered to her after bowing for the crowd. “Oh, you’ll be staying for the tour then,” Zatanna purred in reply.

“Citizens of Gotham as you have have suspected I will be cutting your most eligible bachelor in two. Sorry ladies there still won’t be enough of him to go around. I’m a magician not a miracle worker.” Zatanna paused for the crowd’s response. “What I will be doing is showing you what lies inside. Does Bruce Wayne have a heart of gold or does something darker lurk behind the facade.”

Bruce raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry,” Zatanna whispered back. “Your secret isn’t going to be revealed.”

Zatanna had been working on this illusion since she’d started performing in Gotham. On the final swing of the pendulum the good parts of living in Gotham were going to spill out of Bruce’s guts and into the crowd. Maybe it was too on the nose. She’d wanted to do a special act for Bruce.

“Let’s have Bruce Wayne spill his guts about Gotham’s secrets.”

A body dropped onto the stage.

Other than- Zatanna wasn’t sure if she actually heard “Joker’s in Arkham get a new act”- the audience went still for the moment. Likely they were trying to see if a raving madman was about to appear giving then an entirely new show or if the dead body was going in interfere with the running of the current show.

Zatanna didn’t recognize the corpse on her stage. He’d fallen from the high-roller’s box so Mikey would have told her his name. Given he was one of the high-rollers, Bruce would be able to identify him. There wasn’t a question if the man had been murdered. Five throwing knives to the chest made a certain point. Whoever killed him did so with a vengeance.

Bruce was staring intensity up at the box. If there had been one of Gotham’s trademarked costumed madmen, there should have been a soliloquy before the body fell. Zatanna followed Bruce’s gaze to find a steampunk-ninja staring down at Bruce. With the goggles, on Zatanna couldn’t tell his intent. He wasn’t moving towards any of his weapons and wasn’t he covered in them.

“How do you want to play this?” Zatanna asked. This was Bruce’s town after all.

“Get us out of here,” The growl was back. Odd usually Bruce liked to play up being a helpless baboon in-front of his adoring audiences. Zatanna didn’t need to look to know there were smartphones recording and streaming them this very moment. That give her an idea.

“I’ll do you one better. Tuo enoyreve.”

With the audience gone from the theater, the void of silence left in their wake was shocking. To Zatanna. Neither Bruce nor the steam-punk ninja seemed to be aware of much other than their staring contest.

“This has to be my most memorable finale, yet.” Getting the crowd mystically transported to the police precinct had to at least be a unique way for them to get interrogated as murder witnesses by the police. They probably wouldn’t have to wait around as much as they usually did.

“Get me into costume,” Bruce barked rather than growled. “What?” Zatanna turned toward him in confusion because while the audience was gone and they could edit the security footage easily, the steam-punk ninja was right there.

“Now.”

“It’s your secret identity,” Zatanna remarked flippantly. “Nruter ot namtab.”

The suit Zatanna fabricated for Bruce to wear for the show dissolved leaving in it’s place the Bat-suit Bruce had been wearing before, cowl down and all. Their steam-punk ninja friend didn’t respond until Bruce pulled the cowl over his head. At that moment a pair of throwing knives went flying towards him.

“Xob eht ot.” Zatanna reacted with a teleportation spell before the knives were halfway to Bruce. Not that Bruce needed saving. Jumping into the box would give Bruce the opportunity for a free attack after that the fight would be more evenly matched. Well as evenly matched as a two on one fight was. Zatanna always enjoyed those types of odds.

As she felt herself materializing something hard and blunt struck Zatanna in the throat. She dropped. Having her teleporting predicted twice in one day, what were the chances. At least her attacker hadn’t slit her throat to shut her up. That had happened more and more often in recent years.

Zatanna pulled herself up against the wall of the box painfully trying to draw in enough air to form a healing spell. Bruce and the steampunk ninja were matching each other blow for blow. That was good. Zatanna didn’t actually enjoy using blood to cast healing spells.

As the fight continued Zatanna was starting to see why Bruce hadn’t cared about revealing his identity to the steampunk ninja. They’d fought before. Zatanna could see how they were anticipating each other’s moves and attempting to expose the other’s weakness. There was something familiar about how the steampunk-ninja moved. If Zatanna hadn’t been gasping for breath, she would have figured out where she’d seen the style before.

The fight began to shift. Bruce was pulling back, saying something to the steampunk ninja. Zatanna couldn’t hear over the sound of her own gasping breaths. The ninja moved in for a strike. Whatever Bruce had said this time shocked the steampunk ninja. He froze and Bruce counter attacked tagging him in the head. There wasn’t much power to the blow. Probably all it did was knock the steampunk ninja’s mask off.

A chill ran down Zatanna’s spine. The steampunk ninja was someone Bruce knew, someone they both knew. Dick Grayson. A few years older than the Dick Grayson of the current year. His skin was a chalky white with dark veins running along the sides of his face. His eyes a metallic yellow.

Before Bruce could speak again , in classic Bat fashion, Dick threw down a smoke bomb.

Zatanna didn’t doubt he would be gone before the smoke faded. Her mind was more occupied by the obvious. Dick hadn’t been enchanted by a misformed youth enchantment. There were a few alternative uses for spells of balance. Zatanna had a feeling they’d just encountered one.


	3. Chapter 3

“Did you see how those goons freaked out after seeing two Robins!”

Jason still hadn’t figured out how he was on patrol with Dick.

They’d gone over the security footage for about thirty minutes. Those thirty minutes with Dick hadn’t been that bad. Playing the keep your answers cryptic so Dick won’t learn more about the future game had been almost fun. Dick was crazy sneaky at asking his questions. Halfway through Jason decided to replace cryptic answers with creative ones. Stepping up the challenge, Dick had done the same with his question. Kara hadn’t stopped laughing for those thirty minutes. It had almost been nice.

At the thirty minute mark, Kara’s needy roommate, Lena Luthur, called freaking out about how Kara hadn’t been home on time. More like how she needed someone to rant to about her latest scheme to save their academy. Jason wasn’t giving Lena the credit she deserved. Who else was out there saving the world from the menace of Supergirl.

Kara had almost seemed like she was going to turn Lena down. Not that she would have because Kara didn’t turn down even her arch-nemesis. Since Jason didn’t want to hear why she was going to pick Lena over him, he told Kara she should go. Why wouldn’t she have left? With Jason having to babysit Dick they weren’t going to make any real progress finding Flame-Bird’s Lament this evening. Kara didn’t have any reason to hang around.

Pretty much the instant Kara was out of earshot, maybe ten minutes after she’d left, Dick had asked why they couldn’t go patrolling together. Jason hadn’t wanted to explain that Bruce didn’t trust Jason to be Robin right now. At the time Dick’s arguments about how they wouldn’t be out too long, or even if they were, Bruce never came home early out with a lady. Wasn’t that the truth. How easy it would be to edit the security footage to where Bruce would never even know they’d left. They’d all been so convincing.

Somewhere in there Jason was adding his own contributions to the argument. Jason would leave his tracker and communicator in the Cave, if things got sticky he’d use his burner-phone. He’d been thinking about sneaking out for weeks now. All that had been stopping him was his worry about Bruce needing him. This was an evening Bruce wasn’t going to need him at all.

“I’m sure they’re going to tell the Commissioner all about it.”

Jason had a plan for dealing with the two Robins problem. They were going to stick to small crimes with one or two criminals. If Jason thought Dick could handle the criminal, then Dick would be allowed to take the criminal down while Jason stayed out of sight. If Jason didn’t think Dick could handle a criminal, Jason would be the one doing the take down with Dick staying out of sight. Dick had agreed to the plan before they’d left the Cave.

“Why would Commissioner Gordon be involved in processing an armed robbery suspect?” Dick looked up at Jason with such a sincere expression behind his mask.

“Because Robin was the one doing the apprehending.” Jason half found himself wanting to believe Dick wasn’t being manipulative. That he was just some kid who didn’t know better. Back when Jason had started as Robin, he hadn’t known better.

“Bruce told me the Commissioner doesn’t even bother with most of the criminals saying Batman and Robin were involved because half the time they’re lying so they can sue the police.” Dick sounded so reasonable and Jason remembered hearing the same thing from Bruce.

“I’m sorry I got a little excited. This is my first time fighting crime in the future. Don’t worry I’m going to follow your lead for the next one. Promise.” Dick probably wasn’t even lying. That was the problem wasn’t it. Jason was starting to see how Dick had gotten away with all those things from Alfred’s stories.

“If this happens again, we’re going home.” What was Jason going to say to Dick, that they couldn’t stay out because Jason was having trouble controlling him.

“You’re the best,” Dick exclaimed flashing his little blinding smile. Jason was just grateful Dick wasn’t hugging him like he had been doing with everyone else.

“Where are we going next? The narrows, the dock-” Dick started listing off the worse locations to patrol in Gotham. Did he want to screw up the future by getting killed? If that happened, Jason wasn’t going to have to deal with Bruce’s wraith. He probably won’t have met Bruce.

“-Batman.” Dick’s listing abruptly stopped. So stupid, Jason, should have considered Dick’s communicator when making his plans.

Dick pulled his communicator out of his belt. It was bulkier and brighter colored than Jason’s was. Jason’s was brighter and bulkier than the new model Bruce was working on. “Don’t worry.” Jason didn’t add “Bruce isn’t likely to do anything to you” because Jason was going for encouraging rather than accusing.

“Robin. What’s up,” Dick chirped his enthusiasm. Either he didn’t think Bruce was onto them or he believe like Jason, Dick wasn’t getting in trouble.

“Is J with you?” Here it comes. Jason knew Bruce wasn’t going to get rid of him.

Dick looked at Jason then to the communicator then back to Jason.

“Robin.” Dick’s face paled. Jason couldn’t blame him. Jason was sure the same thing was happening to him. Three years working with Batman and Jason had never heard Bruce sound like that before.

“Why?” What was Dick doing? Jason snatched Dick’s communicator out of his-the kid’s hands were shaking and answered, “I’m here.”

“Have you been with Robin the whole time?” Jason blinked because that wasn’t the question he had been expecting.

“Yes. I’ve had eyes on him. Are you okay?” Is Bruce okay. Jason felt all his fears about sneaking out were coming true. Bruce had needed him and he hadn’t been there. “Where do you need us?”

“Told you they were two different entities.” In the background, Zatanna sounded rough.

Dick gave Jason a confused frown. Jason responded with a shrug. He didn’t really care about whatever Zatanna was talking about. What he needed to know was if Bruce was okay. “Does Batman need us?”

“Return to the Cave.” Jason didn’t slump over with relief when he heard Bruce sounding like Batman. Jason had leaned slight against Dick because Dick was starting to look a little worried. “Zatanna will explain when you arrive.”

“Yes, sir.”

Both he and Dick responded at the same time. A few minutes ago Jason was pretty sure that would have annoyed him. Right now if Dick wasn’t under him, Jason wouldn’t have even known he was there. All he could think about was how Bruce was.

“No delays.” Bruce cut off as abruptly as he ever did. This was the first time Jason had appreciated Bruce’s habit.

“We got off easy.” Dick sounded relieved. Jason replied with a dumb nod before realized he needed to move away from Dick for the kid to see. Halfway back to the Cave, Jason was sure the bubble of relief enveloping him would burst with everything going on, he just wasn’t going to worry about how he’d screwed up.

* * *

Zatanna brushed the luminous chalk off her hands, allowing the glowing purple dust to drift around the interior of the Batcave. All the circle was missing now was Dick, either one of him. From what she’d gleaned from Alfred’s monitoring of steampunk ninja, the Dick Grayson situation she wasn’t going to be examined that one anytime soon. Probably for the better. Reexamination of baby-bird Dick compared with her original prognoses would be a good starting place to unravel the enchantment.

Zatanna pushed any speculations about the enchantment out of her mind. Preconceived notions had been the reason she hadn’t considered the balancing spell as anything other than harmless. Zatanna wasn’t going to be making the same mistake again.

For this examination she wasn’t relying solely on a simple spell. This time should would use an enchantment against an enchantment. Zatanna pleased she’d never gotten around to taking her warding supplies out of the Cave. Everything she’d need to create a Circle of Truth was in the Cave.

The time her procrastination had saved would be crucial in dispelling the enchantment. Until the boys arrived, she was left with her own frustrations: with herself for not seeing what was coming, with the boys for running off, and with Bruce for not accepting a tracking spell. His point about her needing to conserve her energy had been valid. She’d used far too much this evening on the original examination, the show, and healing. She would need everything she had left to unravel the nature of the enchantment.

Hopefully, she’d been just as wrong with her estimates about the length of time she would need to unravel the enchantment as she’d been about the effects of the enchantment. Maybe the enchantment would last her predicted three days even if it did three days was a lot of time to leave a ninja killer on the loose.

He had killed again since Zatanna’s arrival in the Cave. Another one of Gotham’s elite.

Bruce had started blaming himself for steampunk Dick’s murders the moment Bruce had deduced who was under the mask. After his reaction to Jason’s disappearance. Zatanna wasn’t sure Bruce was going to recover from a potential future’s Dick going on a three day killing spree. Zatanna was going to make sure that didn’t happen.

“Miss Zatara, Master Richard and Master Jason have triggered the perimeter alarm. They should be arriving shortly.”

“Thank you, Alfred.” Zatanna scrutinized her work on the Circle of Truth once more before the boys arrived. The lines were drawn perfectly, if she thought so herself. The crystals were in the proper locations along the curves, the dust was still-the roar of a motorcycle pulled Zatanna’s attention towards the entrance of the Cave.

Dick leaped off the back of the Redcycle before Jason had brought the vehicle to a stop. His helmet was carelessly tossed to the side without Dick breaking his sprint in her direction.

“What’s going on?” Dick demanded before Zatanna held her hand out to stop him from crossing into the Circle of Truth. That’s where she wanted him. In this state he wasn’t going to be calm enough when he crossed over. Zatanna was not going to redraw the whole thing because of a childish outburst. She’d had to handle the consequences of childish outburst enough when she’d been the child.

“Where’s Bruce?” He huffed. The impatience was one of Dick’s traits Zatanna hadn’t missed, unlike his exuberance, he hadn’t entirely grown out of it yet. If he continued like Bruce he wasn’t going to.

“Wait for you brother,” Zatanna chided him.

Jason was following along at a much slower pace than Dick’s. His helmet was under one arm and he had Dick’s helmet in his other hand. The Wayne impatience was a trait shared among all the Waynes. Without any preamble, Jason shoved Dick’s helmet into Dick’s arms. “Pick up after yourself.”

Dick’s eyes followed Jason’s movements along the circle with an adorable wounded expression. Times like this Zatanna was grateful Zachary was her cousin and not her brother.

Zatanna gestured at the circle in front of them. “As you’ve surmised there is more to Dick’s enchantment than meets the eye.”

“You’re not summoning demons in the Batcave; I’m disappointed,” Jason quibbled. He’d made his full round of the circle ending up beside Dick. Dick scooted closer to Jason and made a quickly aborted attempt to grab Jason’s hand.

“Let’s not rule that out yet,” Zatanna teased. She’d left Jason Blood a message while she’d been drawing the circle. Demons being summoned into the Batcave was technicality an option on the table.

“Are there two of me?” Dick asked shyly.

“Yes and no. During my show, what Bruce and I believe to be an alternate future version of yourself made an appearance. Bruce is tracking him down as we speak.” Both the kids didn’t look impressed with her lack of information on steampunk Dick. They were going to have to wait for more. Zatanna wasn’t the one who was going to be explaining the murderous future self parts of this mess to a nine year old.

“Are there more of me?”

“We don’t know, yet. That’s why I’m going to have you step into this Circle of Truth. The circle will force the enchantment to reveal it’s true nature. I’ll know how many of you are running around after we’re finished.” More importantly, Zatanna should know the two questions that would break the enchantment. Why and how there were multiples of Dick on the loose.

“Is future Dick evil?” Jason asked suddenly. Dick gasped with surprise. The very response Zatanna had wanted to avoid. Finding out about evil versions of yourself wasn’t fun, especially when you were a child. Zatanna would know.

Zatanna was going to reprimand Jason before she noticed how pale he’d gotten. “Why does that matter?”

Realization crashed into her.

The Cult of Blood.

How had she forgotten Jason had a run in with a brainwashed version of Dick. She’d been planning on talking to Bruce about his response to Dick’s brainwashing.

I think…” Jason’s statement drifted off. He looked cautiously down on Dick who was looking up at Jason with wide, confused eyes.

“Hey, it’s alright,” Zatanna spoke gentle for both of the boys. “That’s not going to happen to Dick again.”

“What,” Jason looked back up at her sharply. “No that’s not it. I…” Jason took a deep breath. “I maybe have an idea of what’s going on.”

Zatanna blinked. Blindside by Jason’s assertion and her entire misreading of what was bothering Jason.

“Awesome,” Dick exclaimed.

“What do you think happened, Jason?” Zatanna asked gently, not wanting to spook Jason into not answering.

“I think, Dick took a bit out of a golden apple.” As explanations went that...was a possibility Zatanna hadn’t considered. “I know it doesn’t make any sense. There was a theft in the Metropolis Museum of Natural Histories yesterday, the Flame-Bird’s Lament.” Jason looked at Zatanna for confirmation. She shook her head. That wasn’t an artifact she’d heard of before.

“If you eat a bit of the apple, you’re supposed to gain knowledge of the past and the future with a curse. The affect is kind of like this, just not with the splitting into the different versions of yourself.” Jason started wavering when Zatanna hadn’t recognized the name of the artifact. “Kara and I were going to call you to see if you knew anyone who would have been interested in acquiring the artifact.”

“Good call. The stories don’t necessarily need to match what’s happening to Dick perfectly. A magical item going missing and a similar enchantment being cast that’s too much of a coincidence for us not to check out.” Using an artifact the day after stealing it was an odd decision for the culprit. Several things about the apple theory didn’t quite fit the circumstances around the enchantment.

“You have a case file started?” Jason nodded in reply to Zatanna’s question. Zatanna had been called in to deal with the mystical side of this. The detectives could do the detective work. “While Dick and I figure out how this enchantment works, I want you to have everything setup for a presentation when Bruce gets back. Remember,” Zatanna cautioned, “we don’t know if this caused the enchantment. Don’t get to excited.”

Jason gave her a cocky reply, “Like the last time.”

“With that attitude you’re going to be Batman in no time.” Jason nearly beamed at Zatanna’s backhanded compliment. Oh Dick, the kid had to have an idea he wasn’t going to be Batman, by now. Zatanna could remember how much he’d wanted to be.

“Yeah! Bruce is always figuring things out like that.” Jason didn’t even respond to Dick’s praise. “Can I call Kara. I think she’s going to have some helpful insight.”

“You don’t have to ask me.” They’d been working the investigation together so Zatanna wasn’t sure why Jason was asking her for approval. She’d just finished comparing him to Bruce.

With permission, granted, Jason headed off in the direction of the Batcomputer. Dick forlornly watch Jason leave.

“It’s okay younger siblings are like that.”

“You don’t have any younger siblings.” Was Dick’s sullen response to Zatanna’s attempt to cheer him up. Zatanna wasn’t too worried. Once they’d figured out how this enchantment, worked he’d be back bouncing around the Cave again.

“You got me there. Now are you ready to figure this thing out.” Dick gave Zatanna a glum little nod. “If it will make you feel better when you’re in the center of the Circle of Truth you don’t have to stand still.”

That got her a smile.

* * *

Batman could hear his own criticisms of Robin’s behavior in the field when he visualized the body of Daze Collins, the CEO of Epione Pharmaceuticals, lying on the stage of the Iceberg’s main theater: reckless, sloppy, and excessive. An act of vengeance. Aurora Stanton’s death had been one of desperation.

Batman had found her lying in her bed, bleeding out from a single throwing knife embedded in her chest. Aurora Stanton, hotelier of the Seven Knights, used her last words to name her killer, Talon. “They’ll send a Talon for your head.” Her last breath was a laugh.

Talon. The Court of Owls. Dick Grayson.

The advantage to Talon’s increased recklessness was Batman had the possibility to catch up to him. Nightwing would have avoided traffic cameras and the familiar routes Batman and Robin had used to patrol the city. He had done it enough as Robin. Talon was using the patrol routes almost instinctively.

The route Talon had taken from the Iceberg to Aurora Stanton's residence had not been a direct route. Even now Talon was following one of their older patrols. Physically, Batman would never have been able to approach Nightwing, with the way Talon was traveling, cutting him off was possible. If Batman could discern were he was heading...

Batman’s case file for the Court of Owls had been thrown away by Bruce Wayne years before Batman had even been a dream. Aurora Stanton, Daze Collins, and Dick Grayson did not have any connections outside of being members of Gotham’s elites. Agent A was running a search back in the Cave. The results were for investigating what had occurred to Talon. They would be available to assist in this chase.

As much as he was loath to use it, intuition was the one tool Batman needed to finish this.

Doctor Andre Atwell and his wife, the starlet Joy Harlan-Atwell, were residence of the Miner Apartment penthouse. Both the surgeon and the actress, like Collins and Stanton, were from the wealthy older blood of Gotham. Going to the penthouse risked losing ground on Talon if they were not the intended targets. Batman’s endurance was waning. The chase needed to end now.

A shout followed by a shriek was all the confirmation Batman needed to know his intuition had been correct about the Atwells.

Batman had been too late to save the couple. They appeared to have been eating a late night meal together. Doctor Andre Atwell was sprawled across the table, Talon’s final throwing knife in his heart. Joy Harlan-Atwell was at Talon’s feet, neck broken.

“Let me help you,” Batman kept his voice low and even; the “comforting the civilian voice” Robin used to call it.

“I am helping you.” Talon’s face was blank, not the way Robin/Nightwing/Dick Grayson would hid his emotions from Bruce. Dick Grayson’s distress was a tension he could not hide from his eyes or his stance. Talon’s expression had nothing under the surface. Despite his expression, Talon’s voice was trembling with emotion.

“You’re in the past. We can fix this our way, not theirs.” Batman was going to fix this.

“It’s already happened.” Talon’s eyes shifted from Batman to the entryway behind him. Batman had inadvertently cut Talon off from the single exit in the Atwell’s dinning room. The balcony Talon had entered was a straight drop to the street below. In Talon’s haste for the kill he had dropped his grapple. Going for the grapple would leave him open to attack from Bruce.

“I’ve got this B-” Talon was backing away towards the balcony as he spoke. “Go back to Robin. I’ve got this.”

“Dick,” Talon flinched at his name. “What happened to you won’t happen again. Come back home. We can solve this together.”

Talon’s face came to life for a moment granting Batman an apologetic look, that Bruce hadn’t seen since Dick had been twelve.

Talon flung himself off the balcony.

Batman shouted. The balcony was too far from where Bruce was standing for him to clear it and grab Dick. That wasn’t going to stop Batman. Before Batman made it to the balcony, he came to a halt because floating in front for him was Supergirl holding Talon.

“Zatanna said you were taking too long. So here I am.” Bruce felt like he was breathing again. Zatanna always did have to do things her way. “You better call her before she has to come herself. And you-” Supergirl chided Talon. “Were you trying to be street pizza?”

“Just making sure Batman wasn’t going to be following me,” Talon teased giving Supergirl a flirtatious smile and a wink.

“Zatanna,” Batman watched Talon begin to chat animatedly with Supergirl, “We have him.”

“Perfect. Robin’s figured out-” Batman cut her off. “Have the boys head up stairs. Tell Alfred to prep the holding cell.”

“Gotcha. Anything you want me to tell the boys to make it easier on me.”

“You’ll figure something out.” Batman smirked at Zatanna’s dramatic sigh as she finished the call.

“Boys,” Talon whispered, his face returning to the death blankness of before. Talon’s eyes moved from Kara to Bruce. “It isn’t just Jason.”

* * *

There was one element of Zatanna’s original examination that was still true. Unraveling the enchantment was going to take her months if not years to handle. The Circle of Truth hadn’t revealed much more than her own unaided spell. Neither of the circles had.

While Kara had been fetching the boys, Zatanna had drawn a new circle around the detection cell. She assumed Talon, as they were calling the steampunk ninja now, wasn’t going to be cooperative.

She had been right. While Talon had been compliant with her spell work, he hadn’t been forth coming about anything other than some lovely complements about her and Supergirl.

During and after her spell, Zatanna had attempted to get information out of Talon. There was the possibility that whoever exposed Dick to Flame-Bird’s Lament, if the apple had been the cause of the enchantment, wanted current Dick to know about becoming Talon. Would knowing more about Talon even lead them to their mystery person? Talon certainly hadn’t thought so.

He hadn’t been too keen on sharing if he had arrived with baby-bird Dick or anything else of similar relevance, either.

With her spell finished and Talon not wanting to talk, Zatanna picked up papers she’d drawn a few spell runes on. This avenue of investigation probably wouldn’t pay off in the short run. Scanning a few papers into the Batcomputer database to run a search involved significantly less time time and hassle than interrogating someone who was bettered trained against interrogations than Zatanna was at giving them.

“What did you find?” Zatanna was somewhat surprised at how calm Bruce sounded. The boys hadn’t taken Zatanna sending them upstairs well, and given how Bruce had been handling things, she couldn’t imagine he hadn’t told them they weren’t going to be involved with the rest of the investigation.

“No shouting match,” Zatanna asked. She ran her paperwork through the scanner. Hopefully, that’s all the computer needed to run a search for a similar language.

Bruce leaned against the computer. He looked like a decade had pasted since the beginning of the evening. “Dick understood. Jason,” Bruce paused. “Jason didn’t want to talk.” Zatanna could understand if her father had pulled her off her investigation, which had happened several times. She hadn’t been interested in speaking to him either.

“Kids do sneak out. You do remember the one time when you were training with my father,” Zatanna said feeling slightly nostalgia at the memory. When this was over she was going to summon her father, it been too long since their last visit. Although he was probably not feeling lonely with her mother, she knew he missed seeing Zatanna.

“You know that isn’t the reason I don’t want them out.” Zatanna knew his reason. She didn’t agree with him.

“Talon seems to be making himself comfortable.” Zatanna redirected the conversation. Talon was leaning causally against the cell, speaking amiably with Supergirl.

“I changed the codes for the kyptonite,” Bruce reassured her.

“That wasn’t my worry? Is he trying to flirt his way of out that cell?” Zatanna said.

Bruce actually sighed. “He spent the entire trip to the Cave trying that tactic.”

“Kara and Jason are an item, aren’t they?” Zatanna asked. Weren’t there codes about this sort of thing between siblings.

Maybe flirting with Zatanna would have been considered inappropriate by some. It had been fun. She and Bruce weren’t exactly exclusive, if they were even seeing each other. Zatanna couldn’t always tell with Bruce.

Flirting with you younger brother’s crush. Zatanna understood there were lines not to be crossed.

“That just makes it easier. He already knows her type.” Bruce didn’t smile. His eyes crinkled around the edges.

“Really. What exactly do you teach your little birds?” Zatanna leaned against her hand as she spoke giving Bruce a coy smile.

“To use every weapon in their arsenal,” Bruce stated coldly. Things had been going so well.

“Speaking of weapons,” Zatanna returned back to business. “Jason and Kara were investigating a theft from the Metropolis Museum, an artifact called the Flame-Bird’s Lament.” Zatanna waved at the paperwork Jason had gathered on the subject.

“The theft occurred yesterday evening,” Bruce stated leaning in to look at the documentation. “Jason mentioned Kara needed his help. Metropolis has a limited number of crimes outside of our skill sets.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I’ve always thought you were helpful during an alien invasion,” Zatanna said with a smirk. “According to Jason’s sum-up, there are a few folk-stories from the region about how talking a bite out of the apple will grant the eater the knowledge of their good and evil; and their past and future selves with some potential negative side effects. Sound familiar?”

Bruce nodded taking a glance at Talon. “What kind of side effects?”

“Being driven mad by the knowledge and destroying everything you know and love. Don’t worry that only happens in less than half of the stories,” Zatanna said. “I haven’t finished going over Jason’s notes yet. So far there are some obvious parallels between this apple and Dick’s enchantment.”

“You’re original opinion was the enchantment was cast by a person. Did your second examination point to an artifact?” Bruce asked.

“My second try didn’t point to anything at all,” Zatanna voiced her frustration. “Even under the Circle of Truth, the enchantment appeared the exact same. I did find out Talon is under the same enchantment as baby-bird Dick. If it wasn’t obvious. The good new is the balance spell seems to be completed between the two of them. Hopefully, that means there aren’t anymore of them running around.

“What we’re seeing can’t be explained by what I’ve been able to get out of the enchantment. The enchantment is hiding things. I still don’t know the language used for the casting of the spells. None of the spells I’ve been able to figure out in the enchantment should stop me from being able to discern the language even if it was from another plane of existence.

“Could the enchantment have been placed on a centuries old golden apple? Yes! Could the enchantment have been cast by some idiot who found a tome of the dark arts and though crafting the enchantment? Just as possible from what I’m seeing from the spell. Who knows. Maybe both of them are what happened.”

Bruce spent a few moments considering her words before he spoke, “Why are you in favor of the apple as the source?”

Zatanna shrugged, “Two consequences. You already know the first. An enchantment of innocents and experiences and an apple of innocents and experiences showing up at the same time? What are the chances, right? The second is that the Flame-Bird’s Lament is one of the Kryptonian legends about Nightwing.”

“That is a consequence,” Bruce’s response was toneless. “What is the Kryptonian legend?”

“This is according to Jason. I haven’t been able to confirm with Kara. Flame-Bird became the Kryptonian goddess of creation and destruction because she ate a golden apple from the Kryptoian tree of good and evil and didn’t go crazy. Suitors started showing up demanding Flame-bird’s hand in marriage.

“Since Flame-Bird only wanted to marry a man worthy of her; she made an oath to only be marry a man or god who could eat the golden apple and live.

“After some pretty nasty suitor mishaps, Flame-Bird started tempting men into marrying her. Her father exiled her to guard the tree.

“Later an injured Kryptonian Nightwing stumbles into the grove with the tree, and Flame-Bird. Long story short, they fall madly in love with each other. Before they can marry, the family of a previous suitor demands that Nightwing eat an apple to prove his worthiness for Flame-Bird. After a lot of drama, Nightwing eats the golden apple, and goes crazy.

“Unlike with the rest of the suitors, who she abandoned to their madness, Flame-Bird loves Nightwing and she stays with him.”

“An appropriately named myth,” Bruce said taking another look at Talon. “What is the Flame-Bird equivalent in our world’s stories.”

“A dragon,” Zatanna explained.” Jason said there’s one story similar to the Kryptonian. In this Earth story, a hero kills Flame-Bird to get the golden apple needed to save his kingdom. The hero slays Flame-Bird to get the golden apple. Once he eats, it he realizes what he’s done. That’s the story the artifact is named after. Other than that one, Jason says the other stories are mostly traditional tales. Like I said I need to finish reading Jason’s notes. So far there’s no dragon.”

“You forgot about the Metropolis Museum’s thief.” Bruce said pensively. “Would breaking the artifact break the enchantment?”

“Possibly if the enchantment is one of self discovery-”

“No,” Bruce interrupted sharply. “They aren’t meeting together.”

Zatanna hadn’t thought Bruce was going to like that approach to the problem. Depending on how all of this played out, it may end up being the only solution. For now Zatanna had a few other options.

“The spell might still fade in a few days. I couldn’t detect any ties to outside magic sources in the enchantment. Without a seal, the magical energies making up the spell should fade in a few days. Since this little spell has been proven a liar. Getting the Flame-Bird’s Lament back from the thief for me to examine the artifact is probably our best bet,” Zatanna explained.

“If the apple is involved in the enchantment,” Bruce mused. “We can’t rule out there being another magical object or person in play. I’ll check to see if there have been attacks of a magical nature planned against Batman. The Titans will need to be contacted.”

“Sounds like a job for Jason.” Zatanna smiled at Bruce’s reaction to her suggestion. “Come on Bruce you don’t want to talk to the Titans. They’re not going to want to talk to me. Jason is the best choice. He is going to want to be part of the investigation. I’m sure he’ll get questionable life advice from them but he’s already proven his loyalty. I don’t think calling them will be problem.”

“Fine.” Bruce emphasized his displeasure with that one word. “Kara can handle interviewing the museum staff.”

“You want Kara to handle investigating the crime scene?” Zatanna questioned. “Our one lead on the case. Kara who came here in the first place looking for help with the investigation. Kara who is vulnerable to magic.”

“The likelihood of the thief, if they are capable of magical attacks, having an altercation with Supergirl in the public museum in broad daylight is unlikely. Even if a staff member is involved in the theft. Jason can check the museum’s surveillance footage here. Anything else we need from Metropolis we can acquire from the police reports,” Bruce stated as if Zatanna should be pleased with his plan. She didn’t approve of limiting Jason involvement in the investigation.

“How will Kara know what information we need retrieved?” Zatanna tried to reason with Bruce. “I have to look into a few of my contacts who don’t bother with crystal balls or cellphones to see if I can find anymore information on this spell or if anyone in my circle has been asked about this type of enchantment.. Are you going to go with her?”

“Clark is an investigative reporter married to a better one. Kara knows how to do the type of interviews we will need from the staff,” Bruce challenged Zatanna.

“If you think so.” Zatanna relented because an argument wouldn’t help anything. Bruce could be right. Zatanna hadn’t been particular impressed with Clark’s deductive reasoning in the past. Lois was a master. Maybe Kara had been getting some pointers from her. “I’ll give Kara her assignment. After that you’re going to be doing without me for a few hours.”

Bruce gave her a distracted nod. He was already moving onto running Batcomputer searches of his own. Zatanna hoped he’d consider sleeping tonight. “Bruce.” He glanced back at her. “Talon isn’t going to be Dick’s future.”

“I know.”

* * *

“Mind if I join you?” Jason wasn’t surprised Kara had found him on the roof of the manor. Well, she had surprised him. One moment he’d been blindly looking up at the stars, the next Kara was right there in front of him. She’d given him space. She was floating three feet away. Like always with Kara there had been no warning. She was worse than Bruce because she was obvious about how amused she was with startling people.

Jason nodded numbly. Not actually sure why Kara would have went looking for him. Obviously, she would have come because she hadn’t said goodbye and they were friends. It was just...getting kicked out by Bruce had made Jason feel raw. Bruce was so angry about the communicator thing he hadn’t even tried to talk to Jason. Jason didn’t know how things were going to play out after they solved the evil Dick mess.

“I did know Dick was such a flirt,” Kara spoke. She settled gentle beside him looking up at the stars. “I didn’t know what to say. He’s so old.”

Jason shrugged listlessly. “Standard Bruce maneuver. Charm your captor into letting you go.” Seduction didn’t seem like one of the plays Dick would have made from how Alfred talked about him. Future Dick was evil and the movies could be right about the evil version of you being sexier.

“That actually works, Kara said turning to look at him with incredulity.

Telling Kara she was a Kryptonian wasn’t going to help, even if it was the truth. So Jason went in another direction. “Some of the time. Bruce somehow knows when a villainess is going to be easy to play or not. I’ve never been able to figure out how he does it.”

“Neither has Dick,” Kara giggled then took a calming breath. “Okay, I didn’t come out here to talk about Talon.”

“Talon?” Jason questioned.

“Oh yeah. Steampunk ninja zombie Dick is called Talon. He is what is the word,” Kara halted her explanation. “They’re in those movies. I don’t actual watch with...mobs.” Jason shook his head when she glanced over at him for help. The movie genres Kara didn’t watch were pretty much anything her friend base didn’t watch. Jason wasn’t sure if Kara’s lack of interest in movies was a Kryptonian thing or a Kara thing.

“I know what they're called in Kryptonian,” She exclaimed.

“Don’t go there if you want me to know what you’re talking about,” Jason denied that option. His understanding of Kryptoian was rough.

“Zombies!” She exclaimed in triumph. “He’s a zombie.”

“A what?” Jason blurted.

“It’s like he was cursed by- that story would take way too long to tell. He doesn’t breathe unless he’s planning on talking. His heart isn’t beating,” Kara said with a thoughtful frown. “His blood is flowing somehow or, well, something is flowing through his veins. His brain is still active. I’ve heard stories about them since I was a girl and I knew there were earth stories about them. I never thought I’d see one.”

“Why would you? You and magic don’t get along well.” Jason tried for comforting. Though, how Kara had missed zombies before was a mystery. He’d run into zombies before.

“That’s the thing it isn’t magic at all. It’s like there is an element I’ve never seen before powering him,” Kara pondered. Dick getting turned into a science fiction zombie would be par for the course Jason mused, not at all shocked by proposition, even if maybe he should have been. Probably a Titan’s villain. Jason frowned at that. No. Talon had murdered three people in Gotham.

Did that mean Dick had moved back to Gotham at some point in the future?

Kara jerked beside him, shaking Jason out of his feeling about Bruce’s response to Dick coming back to Gotham and..how that was going to impact Jason and Bruce. “Sorry, that wasn’t what I wanted to talk about at all.”

“I thought getting flirted with by the undead was what all the girls are talking about,” Jason smirked.

Kara shoved him, lightly. “No more distractions. I was assigned to interview the museum staff.” Kara rolled her eyes with amused disbelief when she said assigned. This all started out as her case, their case, Jason amended to himself. Kara would be amused with how easily it had been taken over rather than bitter about it.

“That was the plan.” Jason shifted away from her trying to keep his own bitterness out of his words.

“I thought so,” Kara assured. “I’ll need you to prep me for tomorrow.”

“Prep you for what?” Jason hesitated. “You know how to ask people questions.” Jason didn’t know why he was trying to draw this out. Kara was being pretty obvious about what she wanted.

“Not the right questions. Lana says I’m even worse at interviews than Clark was at my age.” Kara coaxed even if that wasn’t exactly how she sounded always trying to make Jason feel like he was still part of all this.

“According to Clark’s news club sponsor that isn’t possible,” Jason smirked. Jason could play along with Kara.

“Batman has dug up good dirt on Superman.” Kara sounded more pleased with Jason’s reveal than about the depth of Batman’s investigation about her cousin than Jason would have been if their situations were reversed. “Clark always said Bruce knew everything about him.”

“Batman is like that with every member of the League,” Jason alleged with a conspiratorial wink to Kara. She smiled brightly back in return.

“Now you wanted some pointers on getting witness statements,” Jason started his explanation of the basics.

* * *

Ciel Gilbert, CEO of the Opalescent Crops Inc., the most successful Agrochemical founded in the United States, Stuffy to his friends due due to his reactions to the pollution in Gotham, was found in his office at eight-forty murdered. The security alarms had been triggered by an intruder. The murder had occurred at eight-thirty. The GCPD initial assessment indicated the homicide was committed by throwing knives, none of which were found at the scene. Robin arrived at the Batcave at approximately eight-thirty.

Paxton Bennett, the reclusive head of Reticent, an international Cyber Security firm based in Gotham, was found similarly murdered at nine fifteen. His time of death taking place closer to nine: Eight fifty-eight. After Batman dissuaded two rival gangs from an early impromptu brawl in the Narrows, he contacted the Cave to see when Nightwing had arrived home.

Lyssa Burton, owner of the Gotham National Bank, was found at nine thirty. Witness reports, placed her death at nine twenty-five. She had stormed out of the Gotham Banks Semi-Annul Charity Auction for the Needy to one of the balconies to calm down after having one of her renowned eruptions with Summer Gleeson. Five minutes later, Burton’s assistant, found her in a pool of her own blood. No murder weapon was found.

Batman had contacted Zatanna about the situation with Dick at nine thirty-eight.

Daze Collins death was at ten forty-five with Aurora Stanton’s and the Atwell’s taking place between eleven and even thirty. Talon’s seven victims. All of them part of Gotham’s historical elite.

Beware the Court of Owls that watches all the time.

The Batcomputer had not yet found any substantial connections between the seven victims as a group and the seven victims with Dick. If they were who Bruce suspected them of being, the organization connecting them would be difficult to uncover.

Bruce would not lie to himself. The dread he had felt as a child searching out an explanation for his parents’ deaths was slowly growing in his chest. He had thought they had killed his parents. He knew they were going to kill Dick. The evidence of that was currently doing a handstand in the holding cell seemingly without a care in the world.

Talon’s cavalier attitude about his capture and imprisonment disturbed Bruce more than Talon’s physical state. Dick had never been comfortable in the holding cell, not as children, certainly not as a teenager.

The way Talon had yielded to Supergirl without any type of defiance was even more uncharacteristic. Bruce had no doubt Talon was biding his time to escape. Bruce had taught Dick how to do so, the problem was Dick had never learned. Taunts, banter, quips had been Dick’s choice of dealing with being captured even when Dick was attempting to appear amiable with his capture. Dick had never learned to control either his body language or his tone.

Talon was older than present Dick. How much was unclear. Bruce estimated late to early twenties as opposed to the nineteen Dick was at present. Ten years was enough time to adjust behaviors. How that behavior was adjusted was what troubled Bruce.

Talon glanced up from his handstand accidentally meeting Bruce’s eyes. Even though the distance was too great for the contact to be considered meaningful, Talon flinched. The movement would have been minute if Talon had not over-corrected his response by giving Bruce the “smile” and a jaunty wave.

With the information currently available in the Batcomputer answers from that avenue of investigation could take days or even weeks. Bruce had been trying to keep the perspective that Dick could have died years in the future. There had been no reason to push Talon into revealing his secrets since in all likelihood Talon would not intentionally reveal his other targets. Unintentional was a possibility.

Bruce stood up. Any information he was able to obtain from Talon would be useful in preventing Dick from becoming Talon.

Talon righted himself when he realized Bruce was heading his direction. He causally leaned against the glass with a smile fixed on his face and his eyes still adverted. Bruce doubted the lack of eye contact had to do with Talon’s natural eyes or the killings. Dick had never been shy about breaking Bruce’s rules when they went against what Dick wanted.

“Looking for some company?” Talon teased, sounding more like Dick at sixteen than Dick’s current nineteen. “I felt Zatanna went home too early myself.” Sounds more like himself than Bruce thought Dick had in years. Talon was blatantly being manipulative. Still Bruce had a fleeting rush of irrelevant curiosity.

Had their relationship been repaired before Dick had become Talon.

“Why are you targeting the Court of Owls?” Bruce stated flatly. His time with Talon was limited. For all Bruce knew, present Dick’s time before Talon was limited. Keeping Dick alive had constantly been more relevant to Bruce than his good standing with Dick.

Talon chuckled. “You think they’re part of a nursery rhyme. Come on Bruce. I know Gotham rogues are into fairy tales but nursery rhythms.”

Talon’s dismissal of the court was the confirmation Bruce had needed. Had Talon been hunting another group or individual using the Court to divert Bruce’s efforts away from Talon’s true quarry would have been an ideal tactic. One Bruce had taught Dick before.

Dick’s tales agreed with Bruce’s belief about the Court’s involvement. Talon had begun tightening his arms around himself. The ghost of a few others were showing themselves in the rest of Dick’s posture. Talon’s was the most striking. All expression had slipped of Talon’s face while he had spoken, even though his tone had been friendly.

Bruce speculated Talon did not even know he was not smiling at Bruce now.

“When did it happen?” Bruce questioned gently this time.

“Bruce trust me when I tell you, you can’t look into this.” Talon’s declaration was undermined by his inability to look Bruce in the eyes; his body folding in on itself; and his confident tone was beginning to shake with underline emotions. Talon was pleading with Bruce. Why? Shame? Talon’s body was telling Bruce Talon was ashamed.

“Dick, tell me why you don’t want me to help you.” Unlike before Talon shivered at his name. Bruce hoped the movement was a sign he was reaching Talon. “You know I don’t care what happened.”

“I know.” Talon shoved himself off the cell wall to glare at Bruce. “I know. You don’t understand. It. Already. Happened.”

“Not here, Dick.” Talon shuttered. Bruce pressed on, still hopeful with the reactions he was receiving from Talon. “We have time.”

With an angry huff, Talon started to pace around the cell to work off his agitation. This was beginning to feel like a conversation with present Dick. Bruce felt a sliver of satisfaction at the transition.

“To save me.” Talon gave a short bitter laugh. “You tried already. Everyone tried. It didn’t work.”

“Tell me what went wrong.” Talon stiffened at Bruce’s words before unexpectedly deflating.

“You tried Bruce. I just-I just couldn’t be fixed.” Talon sighed. Bruce had never heard Dick sound as exhausted as Talon did now. “Things were back to normal. Well as normal as they could be with what happened to me. Alfred never adjusted to the whole not needing to eat thing. You couldn’t let go. I should have known. I had to stop you Bruce. I couldn’t let anyone else do it. It had to be me.”

“Why did I need to be stopped?” Bruce coaxed after Talon had broken to stare blankly at the ground.

“It doesn’t matter.” Bruce was hardly able to read the words from Talon’s lips. Talon looked up. meeting Bruce’s eyes Talon’s face was still lacking in expression. Speaking to Bruce this time, “I already told you I’ve got this.”

“Whatever happened hurt you.” Talon’s cryptic explanation gave Bruce a chilling suspicion about how Talon had stopped Bruce. “Tell me how to help you.”

“You want to help me. Of course you do. I should have-”

A bright flash of red interrupted Talon. The alert sounded at the upper entrance to the Bat-Cave. Bruce did not visibly respond to the distraction; trying not to drive Talon back behind his guard. “Go tell Jason I said hi,” Talon finished with a slightly self-deprecating smile, his eyes slid away from Bruce’s.

“Dick…” Bruce began again. With a soft, amused shake of his head, Talon turned away from Bruce to lean his back against the glass. For now, Bruce had lost Talon, for now.

* * *

As Bruce had expected baby-bird Dick, was sitting at the top of the Cave’s stairs. His pillow was tucked against his chest, held firmly by his crossed arms. with his blanket lay beside him.

“I couldn’t sleep,” Dick whispered an apology to Bruce while he watched Bruce with wide, worried eyes. Unlike the rest of the evening, comforting a nine year old Dick Grayson was a situation Bruce knew how to handle.

Bruce gave Dick a warm smile before offering his hand to Dick. “Let’s get you out of here, chum.”

Without hesitation Dick leapt up to cling to Bruce’s hand.

When Dick would have a nightmare, back before he had known about Batman, Dick would curl up in front of Bruce’s door to calm down after a nightmare. Bruce had stumbled across Dick’s nightmare warding off custom in a literal way.

One night a henchmen had gotten a lucky hit on Batman leaving Bruce to nurse a mild concussion. Bruce had been mildly disoriented at the time and had not noticed Dick lying in front of the door. Bruce stumbled over the half asleep child. Without thinking about the consequences, Bruce had simply scooped Dick up, deposited him on Bruce’s bed, and then Bruce had crashed on the floor.

The next morning Bruce had awoke to find himself on the floor and no Dick in the bed. Bruce’s first thoughts had been the incident with Dick had been a dream that was disproven when Bruce realized the bed had been slept in. At breakfast Dick would not confess to having been outside of Bruce’s suite. Bruce had decided since he had not stumbled over Dick before this was a one time event. Two weeks later, after Dick had found out about Batman, Bruce had once again stumbled over Dick. This time at the top of the stairs to the Bat-Cave.

Dick had not wanted to talk. There were several topics Dick had not wanted to talk about at that time. Bruce understood and respected him, believing when Dick needed to discuss the subject he would tell Bruce. Dick never did. At the time they worked out a simple solution to Dick’s situation. Alfred setup a cot in the Cave for Dick if he was having trouble sleeping. If Bruce was working on a case inappropriate for Dick to see, then Bruce would work on the desktop in the library while Dick slept on the nearby couch.

The library was were Bruce was taking Dick now.

They walked in silence. Dick working though his troubles with Bruce there for support. Bruce had learned early on not to press Dick about personal problems. Dick would either shutdown completely or go along with Bruce’s assumptions even when they were not accurate or potentially more harmful. All that had changed when Dick became a teenager.

Last time Dick had come to him for help...Bruce shook the thought away, this was not the time to dwell on that past.

Dick perked up when they arrived at his couch.

Bruce had a moment of worry when he realized Jason had claimed the couch for his “why aren’t we reading this in class” books. It seemed like a decade had passed from the time when he and Jason had worked together to pick out an expanding classics for his literature class. Jason had such a good time picking through Bruce’s suggestions. They ended up including additional titles for Jason’s history, math, and science classes.

They had been reading over them during the evenings before patrols until Bruce had started banning Jason … Over the last few months there were a lot of things he and Jason hadn’t been doing.

Dick was amused by the pile of books on his couch. After a quick glance to Bruce for permission, which Bruce answered with a nod, Dick tore into the books with excitement. Bruce doubted Dick’s excitement would hold when he slowed down enough to see what the books were about.

With Dick occupied, Bruce set Dick’s pillow and blanket at the end of the couch, and then Bruce headed over to his desk to setup the computer.

The last time Bruce had used this computer for this particular function Dick had been sixteen. Bruce had kept the computer updated for easy access in case a situation such as this arrived. For the last year and a half Jason had been the primary user of the library computer. Bruce had reworked the security protocols.. In case Jason had discovered the computer’s capacities. Now he was finding out access to the Batcomputer was taking longer than he wanted.

“Bruce,” Dick’s whisper pulled Bruce out of the nostalgia he had been slowly falling into. “Are you mad at me?”

Bruce tiredly rubbed is eyes. “I’m not angry at you or Jason,” Bruce included Jason because Dick had always been sensitive to others getting in trouble for his perceived failings. “You both should have known better than to-”

“Not about that.” Dick gave Bruce’s lecture a dismissive little wave. What else was there for Bruce to be angry about? Bruce reviewed their interactions trying to think of a time he had given any indication he was upset around Dick.

At this age Dick Grayson had been sensitive to Bruce’s negative emotions. Anger being the more common one, then. When Bruce had gotten angry around Dick, no matter the reason or the extent of the anger, Dick would often mistakenly believe Bruce was angry at him. With present Dick, if Bruce even considered having emotions, in Dick’s general vicinity Dick Grayson, would explode.

“Why do you think I’m angry with you?” Bruce prompted. He could not think of a reason why Dick would believe Bruce was angry. The shortness with Zatanna was situational that had been revolved quickly. That could not have upset Dick.

Dick shifted on the couch, curling into himself slightly, his eyes were sliding away from Bruce. A chill went straight down Bruce’s spine at the similarity between baby-bird Dick’s behavior and Talon’s. Bruce was not entirely aware of his movements as he stood and made his way over to Dick.

“Dick, why do you think I’m angry with you?” Bruce asked gently. He crouched down in front of Dick to meet his eyes.

Bruce caught himself not breathing as Dick’s eyes focused on Bruce’s.

“Why is Jason in my room?” Dick was trying to keep his face blank, but Bruce could see the little signs of tension all over Dick’s expression. The relief Bruce felt nearly knocked him backwards. Of course, Alfred had told Bruce baby-bird Dick had been unhappy Jason had not wanted have a sleepover. This was an easy problem with an easy fix.

“You remember how you didn’t like the manor’s larger rooms when you moved in,” Bruce started as gently as he had before.

Dick nodded. “They were bigger than the whole performing tent.”

Bruce smiled at the memory of Dick spinning around the first suite they’d planned to give to Dick. “Jason was just as overwhelmed as you were. Since older you moved out, we thought Jason would feel more comfortable in your old room.”

The tension drained out of Dick in a quick rush that ended with Dick flopping against the back of the couch, looking too tired for a nine year old.

“Is Jason upset I messed up his date?” Dick asked earnestly.

Bruce didn’t smirk as he answered., “No according to Clark they’re just friends. Now Jason will be upset if you don’t put his books back where you got them when you wake up tomorrow.”

Dick pushed himself up a little bit with a defiant smile on his face. “Since I’m not going to bed then does that mean I don’t have to put them up.”

Bruce expected this with everything that had been going on. Exhaustion was written all over Dick’s body. If Bruce left Dick to read over Jason’s books he would be asleep before Bruce restarted his search. The fact that Dick was scared of going back to sleep, was also written all over Dick. The computer was already working. Bruce could review his conversation with Talon while sitting with Dick as much as he could sitting in front of the computer.

Bruce got up off the floor and sat on the couch beside Dick, who instantly settled himself into Bruce. “I’m not going to sleep,” Dick told Bruce firmly.

“Of course not,” Bruce agreed pulling the blanket over Dick.

There would be time to deal with Talon later.


	4. Chapter 4

Haggle with the Hag was a pillar of the Gotham mystical community. The pillar located behind the rest of the column of the mystical community that had never actually borne any of Gotham’s weight. The last possible place a person with connections to the mystical community would go for any reason whatsoever. Usually.

There was another side of the Haggle with the Hag. While the shop was the last stop. In Gotham, Haggle with the Hag was the place for normal folks to go to for mystical advice, charms, curses, and other wares.

Zatanna’s first trip to the shop hadn’t been with her father. A group of her school friends had decided they needed mystical aid for passing an exam. One of the girls had heard of Haggle with the Hag and suggested a trip to see if the rumors were true.

Zatanna had heard of the shop from her father. His opinion on the moral integrity of people who sold magical items indiscriminately to the unaware was less flattering than the ones he had on soul-stealing demons. Instead of warning the other girls of the potential risk, Zatanna decided to go with them to keep them out of trouble.

Zatanna had always been intrigued by the idea there were other people out there publicly using magic, like herself and her father. The other magical users she’d been exposed to lived in secluded manors, isolated towers, hovels in forbidden woods, and the occasional dark dimension. The shopping trip for exam charms was the perfect opportunity for her to see if there was more to the magical world than isolation and responsibility.

As mystical shops went Haggle with the Hag’s storefront had been on the underwhelming side, for Zatanna. The rest of the girls were enchanted by the shops spells. The enchantment weaved around the building whispered to potential customers that within the establishment all their wishes could come true. There was also a feeling they had been specifically called to come to this very location and no other would have answered the calling.  
Zatanna had rolled her eyes a little at the other girls squeals as they had been taken in by the harmless advertising spell. Even being affected by magic Zatanna hadn’t seen how you could be influenced by a chosen one spell when there was quite a bit of traffic coming in and out of the store.

While she hadn’t been taken in by the spell, Zatanna had admired the craftsmanship of the spell. It design was simplistic, yet elegant.

When they’d made it inside of the shop, Zatanna had been even more impressed. The shelves were high enough that you couldn’t see over them no matter your height and they were close enough you couldn’t see any of the other patrons.

Zatanna had seen enchantments of a similar nature before. They’d been much grander and complex. The spells on Haggle with the Hag were more simplest, yet, were about to perform the same function.

Like her friend had told the group, like Zatanna’s father had complained to Zatanna, there was real magic on the shelves of the shop. Nothing as impressively crafted as the shop’s own enchantment. Most of the mystical items and charms were cheap knockoffs of actual items and charms of power. The mystical products were mixed in with the rest of the shops stock of entirely fake items and varies clothing items. There were a whole lot of cloths in the tiny shop.

In the end Zatanna had just as much of an outing as her friends.

Her father had been completely wrong about the potential dangers for her. Her friends almost had the misfortune of purchasing an item with potential lethality. She’d been able to win them over with the much cuter charms that would play each girl a unique study reminder song.

Before she’d left, Zatanna was stopped by the Hag herself. She lived up to her title. She had to have been the oldest, ugliest person Zatanna had ever laid eyes on. “Those little trinkets aren’t going to teach your friends any real lessons,” The Hag had chided Zatanna.

“I don’t think that was a lesson they needed to learn.” Zatanna stood her ground not entirely sure what to expect from the Hag. People from their community didn’t like it when you interfered with their plans. The Hag wasn’t exactly teeming with mystical might. Zatanna hadn’t been stupid enough to know if the Hag wasn’t a magical user, she had to have had a powerful backer.

All the Hag did was laugh a sharp bark that made Zatanna wince and slapped Zatanna on the shoulder. “Dear, we all learn those types of lessons sooner or later. You’re one of those hero types aren’t you. Next time you come to Haggle with the Hag I’ll show you my back of the house collection. I think I’ve got a few items you would be interested in.”

Meeting the Hag hadn’t been the beginning of a beautiful friendship. It had been the beginning of Zatanna working outside of her father’s circles. Usually Zatanna picked up items from the shop as gifts. Zatanna wasn’t terribly fond of enchanting items herself. Enchanting was time consuming with monotonous spell work and hunting down the components. Go figure most people expected magical items as gifts from a magician. Haggle with the Hag was the cheapest place to get magical birthday gifts in the five closest dimensions.

Other than the occasional gift for a friend, Zatanna used the shop as a source of information on cases when the magical world had inadvertently effected the normal one. Most of the magical mishaps in this area either started as a purchase from Haggle with the Hag or the person involved had asked about the Hag about a certain item or spell before looking somewhere else.

After getting less than three hours of sleep, Zatanna spent her entire morning calling every contact she knew who might have a passing knowledge of the Flame-Bird’s Lament. All that she had gotten was a stressed out Mikey. While Zatanna’s grand finale had been the crowd pleaser she’d hoped it would be, the Iceberg’s show room would be inconveniently shutdown by the police investigation for the next few nights. Inconvenient for the show; but, very convenient for Zatanna trying to figure out the mess of the enchantment on Dick.

Other than the news about the show, Zatanna had learned nothing. As for any information on the nature of the enchantment itself; Zatanna had expected little and had gotten less.

She’d known it was unlikely anyone would be able to instantly identify the crafting. Her own attempts had turned up little and unlike her contacts she had access to the enchantment.

Zatanna had hoped someone would have at least recognized the language used. Several of the people she’d contacted had been, well, saying they’d been alive would be a stretch. They’d certainly been active during the assumed time-frame of the myths surrounding the apple. All Zatanna had gotten on the language from any of them was no more than in the Flame-bird’s Lament’s brochures, that the effort felt entirely wasted.

Zatanna tried to tell herself, her efforts weren’t entirely wasted. Remembering a long dead language often required a good deal of time. Especially if you hadn’t used it in your own spell craft or defeated some grand sorcerer who used the language in their spells. Someone was bound to remember the language eventually.

Learning nothing about Flame-bird’s Lament from her mystical contacts was the reason Zatanna was entering Haggle with the Hag. When the mystical community didn’t have answers for an enchantment Zatanna, would have to haggle with the Hag.

When Zatanna opened the door to Haggle with the Hag, she rolled her eyes, as the bells chimed with faux pixie voices; “Welcome, valued guest.”

There was no one browsing in the front of the shop. As intended by the shops privacy enchantment shoppers were drawn into the maze of shelves they were unlikely to interact with other people. Seeing other costumers would hinder the shops efforts of telling the costumer this shop was here just for them.

From what Zatanna had gathered from her visits, the front of the shop was where the Hag preferred to do her “back of the house” business. The Hag liked to tell Zatanna at every available opportunity that the back of Hag with the Haggle was filled with top of the line merchandises. Since there wasn’t any space back there for business, the Hag preferred dealing at the front of the shop.

If that was even the true reason, Zatanna knew the Hag wanted Zatanna at the front of the shop to draw business.

No one was manning the front of the shop in case a high roller like Zatanna showed up for back of the house business.

Usually the lack of a timely reception didn’t bother Zatanna. She was a believer in giving all your customers the preferential treatment regardless of their circumstances. So if the Hag was lost in her shelves spending an hour helping someone pick out the perfect good luck charm, Zatanna understood.

When Zatanna was here on a case, all she could wonder was if the Hag actually wanted to have “big time” clientele like the Hag was always insisting on. Again, why didn’t the shop have a clerk working the desk. Big time clients in the mystical community didn’t enjoy being treated the same as normal people.

Thoughts like that reminded Zatanna why she should be patient. She didn’t want to be in that category.

Besides it wasn’t as though whatever the Hag told her would immediately solve Dick’s situation.

Zatanna examined the merchandise at the front of the store while she waited. Calling for the Hag wouldn’t help. The Hag would get to Zatanna when the she was good and ready.

The Hag had changed the storefront again. Going from Gothic to a more Earthbound style. The Hag had even brought back the crystals from the shops hippy days.

Most of the storefront was filled with little enchanted souvenirs to entice others to come to the shop. There were a few other knickknacks, mostly crystals with the shops current style and a few little curses to show off the validity of the shop.

“Zatanna!” A shrill shout came from somewhere at the back of the shelves. While the shop was filled with enchantments keeping customers from hearing each other, Zatanna was sure every single person in and around the shop heard the greeting. “How did the egg work out? Oh, don’t tell me it worked out wonderfully. You always find the best children for that sort of thing. I don’t know why you haven’t gotten any yourself.”

Zatanna took a deep calming breath; reminding herself Dick was in trouble if not mortal peril.

“Don’t you mind that. I’ve got just the thing you need, Dearie. I’ve just gotten in this bodice from...we’ll you don’t want to know where its from. It will look perfect with you-” With a dramatic flourish Zatanna, hoped she’d be able to pull off when she was the Hag’s age, the Hag appeared from out of the shelves with a rather spectacular bodice outstretched for Zatanna to be wowed by. If the circumstances were different wowed, Zatanna would have been.

“Why aren’t you in costume, dear?” The Hag said with a frown as she took in Zatanna’s non-working outfit with disappointment and a little bit of hurt. Usually Zatanna would have been in costume when coming to Haggle with the Hag. The Hag had offered Zatanna a pretty hefty discount for the advertising value of a celebrity coming to her shop.

“Can’t a magician be incognito when she’s working an investigation?” Zatanna teased. She’d completely forgotten about the “deal” with everything that had been going on.

“Well changing your costume isn’t enough of a disguise when you’ve got your face plastered everywhere, now is it.” The Hag chided Zatanna while placing her hands on her hips and looking at Zatanna with intense concentration. “I’ve got just the thing you need, a Hag charm. No one ever suspects the Hag. Now it will take me a while to find it. Why don’t you look around a bit.”

“Why look around?” Zatanna smirked. “Aren’t you wearing that particular charm?”

The Hag threw back her head in a cackle that would have made a Disney villainess jealous. “Oh, you’ve got me, Dearie. If you wanted to get to the point you should have started that way. Now if you aren’t here for my most esteemed wares, what can I help you with.”

Zatanna offered the Hag a picture of the Flame-Bird’s Lament. “I’m looking for an apple.”

The Hag leaned in to look at the picture, eyes squinting rather melodramatically as she examined the picture. “I’ve got a lot of apples around here. Nothing quite like this one. Gold-plating isn’t good for the teeth.” The Hag flashed Zatanna a toothy grin. “I prefer a nice touch of poisons on my fruits; The floral kind, mind you, metals always seem so unintentional. You want people to know your victim didn’t just lick the wrong thing. I’d never bother with knowledge curses. They’re too messy for my taste.”

“You seem well-informed,” Zatanna said dryly, as she leaned against the display stand behind her. The crystals and cheap trinkets shook slightly at the disruption.

“You know, Dearie, I don’t think I ever told you this, but apples are my thing. Back when I was...probably around twenty, you know, I don’t actually remember-” The Hag cut off when she saw Zatanna’s raised eyebrow.

“I had a customer asking about this very apple a few weeks ago,” The Hag muttered with indignation as she pulled away from the picture with her arms folded.

“How fortunate for me,” Zatanna pointed out as she flashed her brightest smile to the Hag. “You’re the only person in the community who’s even heard about this apple.”

“Don’t say it like that,” The Hag protested. “You know, if there is anything of a mystical nature in Gotham, Metropolis, or even that wretched place Bludhaven; Haggle with the Hag will have the information you need to know about it. I’ve spent my career going to every single museum, art show, pawn shop, and yard sale in every single one of those cities. Of course, I know about an apple you can read about in the paper.”

“Who was doing the asking?” Zatanna pulled out a wad of cash from her jacket pocket. One of the benefits of working an investigation with Bruce was that Zatanna never had to pay a favor for a favor. Even the most traditional of mystical beings could be bought with Bruce’s nearly endless supply of cold hard cash.

“You think you can buy me off with a little bit of money.” The Hag turned her nose up at the bribe, even as she kept her eyes firmly fixed on the cash. Zatanna tried not to smirk. “I’m from the old blood, Dearie. It takes more than cash to blight my integrity.”

“That’s why on...the second to the last shelf you have a selection of combs that lets customers forget their troubles,” Zatanna insinuated.

“Are you implying I’m a drug dealer,” The Hag bristled. “People don’t buy those combs from me to make their troubles… I see your point. Let me think…” The Hag trailed off putting a figure under her chin.

Zatanna looked away from the Hag while the Hag attempted to toy with Zatanna’s patience to in the hopes of getting more cash. That wasn’t going to happen. The Hag wasn’t going to get a dollar until she’d given Zatanna the information she wanted.

Zatanna had already avoided asking about the apple itself to save herself from having to pay more than was necessary.

Knowing more details about Flame-Bird’s Lament would have been helpful in confirming it was the source of Dick’s enchantment. The price for that information, however, was likely to cost more than the information was worth. If the Hag had known more about the apple than Zatanna could have gathered from the brochures, then the Hag would have attempted to sell the information first.

Zatanna also trusted the Hag’s willingness to sell out a customer over the Hag’s magical “expertise”.

Less than two minutes later and after a few long looks at Zatanna, the Hag snapped her fingers. “She was a professor. Well, she didn’t say she was a professor. Her type never does when they’re looking for wares from me. Too good for the Hag. Too academic to see what they’re getting themselves into. They always do find out,” the Hag gave a dark chuckle, “always a little too late. Seeing the high and mighty on their knees begging always warms the heart.”

“Did this professor leave you with a story, a name, maybe a credit card number?” Zatanna asked as she idly started flipping the wad of cash around in her hands.

“A credit card as if I’d deal with cheap plastic,” The Hag shrilly protested.

Zatanna gave a pointed look at the card reader sitting front and center on the counter.

“That’s for the trinkets,” the Hag explained dismissively. “I use the old methods of payment for the real stuff. You know that.”

“I didn’t know you considered magical mirrors leading to the fey trinkets.”

The Hag shuttered at the mention of that buyer’s mishap. Having Doctor Fate arrive at your humble, benign shop with the intent of wiping said shop off the face of existence, would shake up most shop owners.

“Now none of that.” The Hag took a quick fearful glance around her shop as if mentioning the event would return Doctor Fate and his wraith. After making sure her livelihood was safe from the Lords of Order, the Hag threw up her arms and inadvertently dropped the bodice on the ground. “Fine. You don’t want to haggle with the Hag then I’ll just tell you want you want to know.”

Zatanna held in the response she wanted to give to the Hag’s declaration. Even when she looked defeated, the Hag never gave up on an opportunity for a bigger profit.

“The professor didn’t leave her name and she didn’t pay with a credit card or a check,” The Hag conceded the information with a sullen pout.

“That’s too bad.” Zatanna pushed off of the display. “Don’t worry, you’ll get paid what your information’s worth.”

The Hag’s eyes widened as Zatanna started to undo the wad of cash. When Zatanna started removing a few bills the Hag made a shrill sound of distress.

“The professor did pay with a rather interesting artifact,” the Hag revealed with just a touch too much desperation in her voice for it to be real.

Zatanna shook her head in amusement at the Hag’s antics. “Let’s see it.”

“You’ll be impressed it’s a one of a kind,” the Hag pitched over her shoulder as she ambled over to the safe under the counter.

Zatanna didn’t entirely believe the Hag’s boast, though if the Hag was telling the truth, a one of a kind item would make tracking down this professor a simpler matter than Zatanna had imagined earlier in the day.

The Hag spent a few minutes struggling to remember the exact incantation to unlock her own safe and then she spent a few more minutes rummaging around the safe for the interesting artifact the professor paid with. All while taking a few backward glances at Zatanna.

Zatanna gave the Hag a patient smile when they made eye contact. The Hag didn’t look away fast enough to hide her scowl. While Zatanna didn’t have all afternoon to play games with the Hag, she certainly had more time than the Hag did. Gotham Academy should be getting out in a few minutes,. If things hadn’t changed from Zatanna’s days then this shop would be packed in thirty.

“Here it is, Dearie. A fee for the ferryman,” the hag pronounced dramatically raising her hand to reveal a bronze coin from antiquity.

“That is an interesting piece.” There was no questioning the validity of the Hag’s claims about the coin. Death enveloped the coin along with a few fragments of whoever had carried the coin with them on their last journey. Not a unique item to encounter in their business. Still there weren’t too many places in Gotham or Metropolis, to find an artifact like this one.

Zatanna took the coin from the Hag with a shiver from contact with the essences clinging to the coin. As Zatanna examined the coin, she realized she recognized the marking on the head of the coin.

“Now that I have your attention, Dearie,” the Hag gave Zatanna a sly grin from over the bills she was in the process of counting. “I also happen to know where that particular coin comes from.”

“Thanks for the offer. I think I’ve used up all my spending money for the day.” Zatanna slipped the coin into her pocket before turning to leave the shop only stopping when she’d opened the door. “That’s it. No more new accessories to sell me, no cryptic warning about the apple, no juicy bit of last minute information to barter for? Are you having a bad day?”

“Dearie I didn’t know you cared,” the Hag cackled with delight. She placed a fist full of cash against her heart. “As it happens I’m having a magnificent day. Your dark knight knows how to pay an informant.” The Hag gave Zatanna a judgmental glare that Zatanna returned with a playful smile. “I’ve spent the last few months trying to figure out how to help a friend with their troubled children. Just recently I’ve come up with a solution that seems to be working rather well, if I say so myself.”

Zatanna hesitated. A friend to the Hag didn’t necessarily know they were a friend of the Hag. In that one regard, the Hag did follow the ways of the old blood. To Zatanna’s knowledge the Hag’s attempts at helping friends were benign compared to her sales practices. Still.

“You didn’t bake them into a pie.”

“Oh Dearie, that’s too much even for me.” The Hag whipped a tear of laughter from her eye. “Baking me. No worries I just gave the children the tools to solve their troubles.”

Zatanna stood in the doorway a moment longer. If there was a problem here, Zatanna was going to hope she could deal with it later.

* * *

Jason had the Titan’s line pulled up on the Batcomputer. All he needed to contact the Tower was a click of the mouse. An hour after coming down here, Jason was still hesitant to do so.

Calling the Titans was going to blow the situation out of proportion. Jason had enjoyed working with the team a lot even… even if that had gotten him into his current situation with Bruce. He’d even worked with them once before to save Dick. That hadn’t been in Gotham.

Zatanna and Kara could mostly follow Bruce’s lead. They both were inclined to keep as low as they could. They were also able to save the day without causing any major property damage.

The Titans didn’t know how to operate without showing up on every single social media platform. According to those platforms and the Justice League database, they couldn’t even go on vacation without a few buildings being destroyed.

The actual problem was they sure weren’t going to follow Bruce’s lead when they got involved in the case. They were going to be fully involved. Jason wasn’t naive enough to believe he’d be able to talk Donna or Kori into letting Batman and Zatanna handle the Dick situation. Kori was going to be the worst to deal with.

Jason had put off the call to do a quick run through of Dick’s cases. If the Titans had any information on the situation, wouldn’t they be here by now? Any clues available at the Tower would be in Dick’s files. Going about the investigation this way would save Bruce the headache of dealing with Dick’s team.

The Titans apparently, updated their files as often as the Metropolis PD. Probably for the same reasons. Jason could admit that an alien invasion trumped the theft of a seemingly worthless relic. At the rate the Metropolis PD was moving, Kara will have finished her interview with Detective Sawyer.

With a frustrated sigh, Jason returned to skimming over Nightwing’s last entry, still nothing helpful. At least, Jason didn’t think seeing how much Dick’s mental state had deteriorated before getting re-indoctrinated into the Cult of Blood was relevant to the case.

Jason didn’t understand why Dick still had access to the Bat-computer.

In Gotham crime fighting lead to a few messed up memories, maybe some out of character impulses, and hallucinations. Jason shuttered just thinking about those. With the Titans going “turn on everything you know and love” appeared to be the norm. A problem shared with the other Justice League heroes. Unlike with the Titans, there wasn’t a link between the Bat-computer and the Justice Leagues system.

That was just another part of Bruce and Dick Grayson’s relationship Jason couldn’t understand. Jason knew if he’d been the one who’d left the manor after...whatever happened between Bruce and Dick Grayson, and if whatever happened was so terrible Jason decided to never contact Bruce again, then Jason wouldn’t be using Bruce’s computer for superhero work.

Then Jason wasn’t Dick Grayson. Who knows how Bruce would react to Jason Todd storming out of the manor? Jason sometimes wished he knew.

“Awesome costume! Is that me!” Jason closed all of Nightwing’s files before baby-bird Dick finished exclaiming his awesomeness in Jason’s ear. How baby-bird Dick could possibly think the Nightwing suit was awesome or even acceptable was something Jason really, really didn’t want to think about, ever.

“Not yet.” Jason didn’t bother to glance at baby-bird Dick as Jason chided him. “You know you aren’t allowed down here.”

Apparently, even going to a baby-bird Dick restricted area wasn’t enough for Jason to get away from him.

“Bruce didn’t change my codes to the Cave. Doesn’t that mean I’m allowed,” Dick attempted to reassure Jason with his brightest smile. Yeah, that wasn’t happening. After last night, Jason wasn’t going to get talked into anything by baby-bird Dick ever again.

“I think Bruce left you a list of approved activities and hanging out in the Cave wasn’t one of them,” Jason reminded Dick; even though it wasn’t entirely true. Bruce had left Jason a list of baby-bird Dick approved activities. A nice long comprehensive list they’d already run through by lunch. Baby-bird Dick didn’t have the attention span of a goldfish or any appreciation for quietly reading in the library. At least now, Jason understood why Alfred seemed so astonished whenever he came across Jason reading in the library like an ordinary person.

“He said I could help.” Baby-bird Dick didn’t beg like a normal person either. He chirped with excitement and looked expectantly at Jason.

Jason glanced over his shoulder towards the holding cell.

The barrier of various loose equipment and old costumes Jason had put up to shield the Batcomputer from the cell was still there. Not that Jason was worried if Talon could see the baby-bird version of himself. If you weren’t a meta, there was only one way out of that cell; someone on the outside letting you out.

Wasn’t that the reason Jason had put up the barrier in the first place.

When Jason had come down here to work on the Batcomputer, he’d intended to just ignore Talon. That was what Bruce had been doing. Ignoring Talon had been difficult when Talon had seemed so pleased to see Jason. Jason knew why Talon had given him a bright smile that looked strikingly similar to baby-bird Dick’s smile and the friendly wave. It wasn’t that Talon was glad to see Jason, Talon wanted Jason to let him out of his cell.

For the first few minutes down there, Jason had mostly been thinking about how disturbing it was to see adult Dick looking so open, than seeing him as a zombie. It wasn’t long before Jason realized he was sneaking glances at Talon. That’s when Jason put up the barrier. Talon had watched Jason move every free-standing object in the Cave between the two of them with bemusement.

Jason wasn’t going to be the one who got duped into letting out the zombified smiling serial killer version of Dick.

“Help with what exactly.” Jason sighed. Talon defiantly couldn’t see baby-bird Dick at the Bat-computer with Jason. There was no reason to worry.

“Calling my friends,” Dick chirped as he pointed to the Titans symbol on the Bat-computer’s monitor.

Jason rolled his eyes. “You’re going to get a whole lot smoother when your older.”

“You haven’t even called them yet.” Getting called out didn’t even slow Dick’s attempt at an argument down. “I’m sure my friends could be your friends too.”

Jason felt himself involuntary stiffen.

“I don’t need your friends.” Jason didn’t snap at baby-bird Dick. Working with the Titans, maybe even joining the team at some point, were things Jason wanted to do. Would probably do when he proved to Bruce that he could handle himself. Being friends with them wasn’t going to happen. Donna had been the worst. Jason knew when they were talking to him they were just seeing Dick Grayson.

“Kara is pretty awesome but you can’t be like Bruce. People need more than one friend. You should at least pick a friend from a different family than Bruce’s.”

Jason worked his jaw trying to figure out how to respond to this. baby-bird Dick wasn’t just sounding earnest to manipulate Jason into revealing more of the future.

“Bruce asked you to contact the Titans to find out where I’ve been and if I have...villains after me.” Dick whispered the last part with more than a little glee; because, he was kid who didn’t know any better. Jason needed to remember that.

Jason leaned back in the chair considering Dick. “You haven’t made a good case for why you’d be helpful.”

“Come on, Zatanna is just going to mind-wipe me anyway. I can help.” Dick’s inability to articulate how he could help in the situation was starting to amuse Jason. That would be Bruce’s fault. Being moral support was the one way Dick clearly thought he would be able to help. And that type of help was entirely unwanted by Batman.

“You know,” Dick started before shyly looking away from Jason. “If I’m regressed then that means I’m your Dick Grayson.”

“I don’t have a Dick Grayson,” Jason stated flatly. That refusal would be the one to shut Dick down. Jason could see it in the way Dick’s shoulders hunched over and how he pulled his arms around himself. Followed by the quiet.

Jason didn’t regret saying what he had. He didn’t feel bad at seeing Dick’s reactions either. All Jason had stated was the truth. Wasn’t it a truth too. Right now baby-bird Dick wanted to follow Jason around like a duckling. That wasn’t going to last once the enchantment was broken. Everything would go back the way it was. Other than the way things were with Bruce, Jason hadn’t minded things the way they were. Jason didn’t need or want a brother.

Dick’s shoulders started to hitch. What Jason wanted was a bit irrelevant. He’d been assigned to watch baby-bird Dick. Right now, maybe Dick wanted a brother. Why wouldn’t he?

“We’ll call them.” Bruce hadn’t said Dick couldn’t talk to the Titans. Now that Jason was actively considering using Dick for the investigation, he was starting to see how Dick could be helpful. Seeing cute, baby-bird Dick safe and sound in the Batcave would possibly keep the Titans from storming Gotham; especially, since Dick would be vouching for Bruce to deal with the enchantment.

“You’re going to let me stay,” Dick questioned hesitantly; still not quite looking at Jason.

“Are you going to follow my directions this time?” Jason growled using his best Batman voice.

Dick giggled. “Can I make the call?”

Jason nodded, not at all surprised when Dick didn’t make any promises. At least, he was trying not to be a liar. Did it actually matter. What trouble could Dick himself into.

* * *

Seeing the “Titans” hadn’t been as enlightening as Dick had hoped they were going to be. Jason had been pretty happy when Beast Boy had answered the call. When Beast Boy said the team was out of the Tower, mentioning a Kori by name, Jason’s tension had gone away.

Dick hadn’t liked the conversation with Beast Boy. First things had started out like Dick had expected. Beast Boy telling Dick how cute he was. Everyone always said things like that to Dick. Most of the time Dick enjoyed the praise and this time wasn’t any different.

After the introductions, Beast Boy started turning into animals, every kind of animal. Dick had been amazed. Bruce hadn’t let Dick talk to any of the meta humans in the Justice League. Other than Superman. Superman had some cool powers but none of them were as cool as Beast Boy’s powers.

Dick had started getting excited about the team; really, really excited. Before the call, Dick assumed his team was made up of the sidekicks. Dick wanted to see Roy more than anything. Now though Dick Grayson’s team had other people on it, people with cool powers, and who were really funny. Beast Boy had even slipped that Dick was the leader. Bruce wasn’t the leader of the Justice League.

Everything changed when the conversation started shifting to Dick’s similarities to older Dick.

Older Dick who didn’t sound like Dick at all. Beast Boy’s jabs made older Dick sound worse than Bruce was with the League.

The worst part of all was that Jason didn’t disagree with Beast Boy. Dick knew Jason didn’t like him, even a little bit. That had been okay because Jason had to have been missing Dick Grayson. They were brothers after all.

I don’t have a Dick Grayson.

Just a year ago, Dick had asked his parents when they were going to get him a little brother or sister. He promised how he would share Zitka. Dick could still remember how happy his parents had been when he promised to be the best big brother ever.

Dick had never doubted he would be a good big brother. Anyone could see how well he took care of Bruce. Alfred told Dick all the time how good he was with Master Bruce. Dick would do even better for a little brother.

Jason hadn’t even cared when Dick said wanted to go exercise on the parallel bars.

Dick wasn’t going to the parallel bars.

Everyone had done such a great job of not letting him know how far in the future he was. Dick had been so pleased Jason, Bruce, and Zatanna had thought he was clever enough to piece things together from the littlest of hints. Until Dick had started to get frustrated because parts of the future made sense like Jason and the Cave. Some other things didn’t make any sense, like how Dick Grayson didn’t have a room in the manor anymore.

Dick had gotten a few scraps of information from Kara, like how he was part of a superhero team. She’d been on a few adventures in the far future. Unlike everyone else she hadn’t seen the harm in letting Dick know a few tidbits about the future.

Nothing Kara had told Dick or the little bits of stuff he had figured out from following Jason around all day seemed to matter anymore.

Why did Beast Boy think older Dick was worse than Bruce? Why didn’t Jason like older Dick? Why didn’t older Dick have a room if Bruce wasn’t mad at him? Those questions were a lot more important than the one’s Dick had been focusing on. Was Gotham Academy the same? Did Dick’s new costume look cool?

The answers to these questions about older Dick. Dick should have been looking for.

Bruce had already lied to Dick. Jason didn’t care for Dick. Zatanna and Alfred wouldn’t help him because they didn’t want to affect the future. Kara had already told Dick she didn’t know older Dick well.

There was still one person here who could give Dick the answers he needed.

Dick was pretty sure nothing at all in the Cave had changed since Dick’s time. Things were updated. All the cameras were still in the same places even though they were different or more likely improved. On the outside, the Batcomputer looked the same. Only the display was totally different from what Dick had seen over Jason’s shoulder. Dick hadn’t been allowed around the gadgets. Then he hadn’t needed to. He saw the patterns forming. Even the exercise equipment was the same, only updated.

The trophy section had grown and grown. There was even a dinosaur in the Cave, a dinosaur. Dick still couldn’t believe Bruce would have taken something like that home. Yesterday all Dick wondered about were all the adventures older Dick and Bruce, Jason and Bruce, had went on to get all those cool trophies.

Now, Dick was wondering if the Cave’s layout hadn’t been changed. Maybe Bruce’s worries about intruders finding the Cave had been wrong.

The Cave’s lack of change made it easy for Dick to sneak into containment cell without anyone knowing. Dick had memorized the security camera’s blind spots on a dare from Roy a few months ago. While Dick had never hacked the audio feeds to this cell before, he had done it on similar cells during missions as Robin. It was pretty basic.

Dick sat on top of The cell forever watching Talon going through the routine Bruce trained Dick to do if he ever got locked up. Watching an older version of himself doing activities Dick did everyday was so weird. Bruce had based the routine on Dick’s daily exercises to give Dick a sense of stability in a distressing circumstances. Dick wondered if Talon was scared of being in the containment cell.

Bruce had been very clear the night before that Talon wasn’t Dick’s actual future self. Talon was a possibility, one of many, and Dick didn’t need to worry about turning into him. Dick believed Bruce. Even though Talon looked just like Dick’s dad had… Dick believed Bruce.

Dick just needed to ask Talon his questions. Dick knew he’d tell himself how to avoid a bad future. He didn’t understand why he wasn’t asking. Jason could be ending his call with the Titans at any moment.

Talon finished the routine with a flip that Bruce would have criticized for being to showboating. Talon straight he looked up at Dick. Seeing the weird future eyes on his dad’s face made Dick gasp. Bruce had said Talon had been physical altered. Dick hadn’t been ready to see how much.

Talon tilted his head in curiosity as he examined Dick with those freaky eyes. “So that’s what happened,” Talon said under his breath before he gave Dick the “Bruce” smile and wave. “Hey mini-me.”

Everything Dick had been going to ask felt like it had gotten caught up in his chest. Dick just stared dumbly down at Talon and Talon stared patiently back up at him.

“Hey baby-bird.” Hearing Jason’s voice made Dick jerk backwards almost causing him to loss his balance. “Roy wants to see you.”

Roy. Dick pulled his equipment out of the cell’s audio feeds. Roy, Dick really wanted to see Roy right now.

Dick jumped off the cell barely missing the cameras blind spots. His brain was filled with…things that he wanted out, now. Like those alien eyes.

Dick wasn’t sure if he remembered coming back to the Batcomputer from the direction of the training area. Jason didn’t react as he came up, so maybe, Dick had.

On the monitor was Roy, who looked so old. He was probably Bruce’s age. “Hey Dick,” Dick felt a rush of relief. Roy sounded the same even if his voice wasn’t he same Roy was the same. “I’m glad I stopped by the Tower.”

“Me too.”

* * *

“You should have included me in the redecorating. The new look needs a woman’s touch.” Zatanna announced her arrival as she took in the mess between the Batcomputer and the holding cell.

“Jason needed some privacy.” Bruce didn’t look up from the Batcomputer to respond to her. Wasn’t that just the way Bruce was during an investigation. With the stakes of this particular one so high, Zatanna was impressed he’d responded to her at all.

“That won’t be a problem for much longer. I have a name for you. Regina Grimm.” Zatanna smirked as she flipped the coin onto the keyboard for Bruce to examine. Examine he did, though, it took him a little longer to pull himself away from his work than Zatanna would have expected. With the information she’d uncovered after her visit to Haggle with the Hag, she knew Bruce’s side of the investigation was a dead end. She would have thought he would have been more welcoming of new information.

While Bruce carefully turned the coin over in his hands, Zatanna took a nice long look at what he’d been going over. She frowned. Instead of information on Gotham’s usual suspects or even the Titans there on the monitor were-financial records. The records appeared to be for several different people. Zatanna recognized few of the names. Talon’s victims. Was he still working on the victims?

Zatanna wondered why Bruce would be obsessing over them. Finding out what happened to Talon wasn’t relevant to getting Dick Grayson back.

“Viaticum, fitting method of payment.” Bruce offered the coin back to Zatanna, who declined with a shake of her head. Keeping up with the evidence was Bruce’s thing, not Zatanna’s.

“It’s also an easily traceable payment method. I didn’t even have to dust off the crystal ball to find the professor.” Zatanna was indulging her explanation a little more than was entirely necessary. What could she do? How often did Zatanna take the lead on the detective side when working with Bruce.

“I recognized the piece from a showing at the Metropolis Museum of Natural History I attended a few months ago. It came from the private collection of one Professor Regina Grimm. She studied as a numismatist with an emphasis on Charon’s Obol. In practice she teaches a few ancient civilization courses at Met U and does “things” around the Museum.” Zatanna shrugged.

Her contacts at both the museum and Met U weren’t connected with Grimm’s field of study. If Zatanna needed information on antiquity, she used her usual sources as several of them had lived back then. Wasn’t that one of her problems with this case? After they got Dick back, Zatanna was going to have to expand her contacts.

“Professor Regina Grimm turned up during Supergirl’s questioning of the museum staff, as well.” Bruce spoke as he pulled Professor Regina Grimm’s entire life history up on the Batcomputer.

“Really, Bruce,” Zatanna said not even hiding her annoyance. “You already knew. Was there a reason you didn’t tell me?”

“If you had alternative leans. I didn’t need you jumping to conclusions,” Bruce wasn’t entire wrong with his point. Zatanna had skipped a few steps at the beginning of this case. “You usually don’t care to have your bragging interrupted,” Bruce finished with a smirk.

“I won’t argue with that.” Zatanna shook her head, at least, Bruce hadn’t lost his wry wit. “Did Kara’s interviews turn up any motives for Grimm?” A specialist in ancient coins steals a magical apple to enchant a vigilante who, presumably, she’s never meet before. Zatanna couldn’t see how any of this was adding up.

“None for why she would have had Nightwing enchanted,” Bruce stated grimly. “The staff involved with Flame-Bird’s Lament exhibit noted Grimm had an abnormal interested in the artifact. Grimm usually doesn’t involve herself with museum exhibits unrelated to her fields of research: ancient coins and Rome. In the case of Flame-Bird’s Lament, Grimm, went out of her way to assist with setting up the exhibit. Several of the staffers noted she had been seen around the exhibit multiple times each day. She was also asking a few of the researches if they thought the stories surrounding the apple were true.”

“That does sound suspicious. Anyone have a reason why?”

“According to her coworkers at both the museum and the university, Grimm has been behaving cagey about her personal life recently. Supergirl couldn’t find anything substantial other than a few rumors about a potential family crisis. So far I have not been able to find anything of note either.” Frustration started to leak into Bruce’s voice. Zatanna could see why.

The information Bruce had gotten on Regina Grimm was...substantial. The important data was there, such as her financial records. So was the least relevant info, like her third grade report card. Zatanna had been wrong about Bruce focusing too much on the Talon side of the case.

“Did your contact have any other information?” Bruce didn’t sound optimistic when he asked. Zatanna hated that she was going to have to confirm his suspensions.

“No. If my contact had known more, she would have been trying to sell it to me. I don’t think Grimm tried to contact anyone else in the community. No one else had even heard of Flame-Bird’s Lament.”

“Would that be unusual?” Bruce inquired.

“Maybe.” Zatanna tried to voice the suspicions that had been nagging her about the apple. “I’ve asked the people I know who were around when the stories of Flame-Bird’s Lament would have been told. They just hadn’t heard the stories. They hadn’t even recognized the language written on the apple. Ancient artifacts of power, like Flame-bird’s Lament, being lost to time is as common as a person losing their keys. Missing languages aren’t so common.”

Zatanna rubbed her eyes. Her hang up with the language was as misplaced as Bruce’s with Talon. “It’s not important. We have a lead on where the apple should be. Did the kids get anything else?”

Bruce gave her a long evaluating look before speaking. “The Metropolis PD believe the robbery was an inside job. They’ll contact Supergirl with more details as they become available.” Zatanna hadn’t worked with the Metropolis PD before. If they were like their sister city’s police department, a statement like that meant never. Judging from Bruce’s expression, he was in agreement.

“Jason was able to get Nightwing’s last known location out of the Titans.” The way Bruce stated that fact made it sound like Jason had accomplished a herculean task. “Nightwing has been tracking down the remnants of the Cult of Blood. According to Speedy, two nights ago Nightwing was contacted by an anonymous informant. Whatever was promised was enough for Nightwing to setup a meeting.”

Bruce pulled up an old newspaper headlining one of Gotham’s doomed nightclubs.

“At the Woods.” Zatanna interjected. “Why there?”

If the stories were to be believed, then a week after the Woods opened Poison Ivy showed up to claim the club and all of its occupants as her garden. Zatanna didn’t see how one of Ivy’s rotting garden’s would be a good meeting place.

“For the security,” Bruce smirked. Before Zatanna could ask what exactly that smirk was about, Bruce pulled his cowl on. “Supergirl is upstairs with the boys. Take her to interview Grimm. I’m going to the Woods.”

“Wait,” Zatanna raised her hand to stop Bruce. “That’s not how we’re going to do things. If I can’t go to both locations then I should be at the one where the magic may have gone down, Have Jason take Supergirl to see Grimm.” Bruce’s mouth thinned in protest at her suggestion. Before he could voice a protest Zatanna continued her argument. “You’re going to need me. You know that. Nothing you have can CSI magic like I can. If you don’t want the kids to interview Grimm, have them watch her until you can. Either way Kara will need backup on this. Magics been involved and since she’s made a poor impression on the Metropolis PD maybe Robin going along will help.”

Bruce gave her a hard nod before heading past her towards the Bat-mobile. “You’re right I don’t have the expertise.”

Zatanna caught Bruce’s arm, he turned towards her with a deceptively neutral expression. “Dick Grayson isn’t going to end up as Talon. We’re going to fix this.”

“I know.” Bruce broke away without another word. Do you Bruce, Zatanna wondered.


	5. Chapter 5

After Poison Ivy’s hostile reseeding of the Woods, she’d changed the landscaping of the club’s original Black Forest aesthetic to her own personal style: exotic rain-forest.

Zatanna had to say even after a few years without Poison Ivy’s presence the Woods looked impressive.

The outside of the building was in a state of serious decay that matched the surrounding buildings. The parts of Gotham where the more colorful members of the underworld took up residences didn’t often last long. The Woods was no exception. The front of the building was still standing. From the outside Zatanna could see the roof had Caved in. Interestingly enough, there were no signs of what the inside of the building held from the outside. With what Zatanna was seeing, she couldn’t believe some of it hadn’t spilled out onto the streets.

After stepping from the decaying entry way into the main body of the club, she saw everything was covered in vines. Those vines were covered with exotic flowers of every variation Zatanna had ever seen before, along with several she hadn’t. The types of colors were as varied as the flowers. Some of the flowers were even luminous. Stepping into the Woods felt like stepping into the Fey.

Poison Ivy had outdone herself this time.

In the gloom of the Woods, Zatanna couldn’t see any of Poison Ivy’s patented Venus fly traps. They were man-eaters. Zatanna could say a lot of unflattering things about the intelligence of Gotham’s population; even they had enough sense not to walk into this obvious Pet Shop of Horrors. Likely, Poison Ivy’s larger plants wouldn’t have gotten the food needed to survive.

Zatanna was curious about what was keeping the Woods alive. The lack of a roof gave the plants access to sunlight and rain water. Normal plants needed more than that to grow. In the case of Poison Ivy’s plants, all of them needed a little meat in the fertilizer.

“Why haven’t you torched the place?” Zatanna asked the question causally in case the Wood had ears. Her question was answered with a shiver running from the vines surrounding her to the farthest wall of the building. Looks like she was right about them being aware.

While the Woods were exquisite, Zatanna couldn’t believe they weren’t a hazard ready to consume the rest of Gotham. Bruce usually didn’t let hazards grow wild in his city.

“We came to an understanding.” Bruce ran a gentle hand along the nearest vine as he spoke. The vines shivering stopped. Several smaller vines began to rub themselves around Bruce’s ankles, like house cats.

“Do the Woods speak?” Zatanna asked now quite intrigued with the dynamic. If the Woods were capable of speech, then Bruce’s resistance to her coming had some justification. He wouldn’t have wanted Zatanna to spook the witness.

Bruce shook his head and withdrew his hand from the vine. The small vines followed suit, pulling away from Bruce.

“They wouldn’t be able to describe Nightwing’s attacker to us. If we brought the attacker here, then the Woods would react to hi or her.”

“Not much of a security system-” Zatanna frowned. “Wait, how do you know he was attacked? Nothing in here looks recently damaged.”

“The Woods are...distressed. The flowers are less vibrant. Several of the smaller plants are hiding,” Bruce explained. He then gave Zatanna a knowing smile. “The center of the dance floor is cleared.”

“Next time I have to deal with a druid, you’re coming along.”

Other than apparent lack of plants, Zatanna hadn’t seen anything more amiss than she would expect to see in a decaying building. There didn’t seem to be any obvious signs of violence. When she glanced at Bruce, who had crouched down to examine to floor, he gave her a shake of the head.

“Let’s do this. Tast eht-” Zatanna’s spell was cut off as the room around her erupted in a fury of red, green, and hissing. Somewhere beside her, Zatanna could hear Bruce speaking; but at the moment she had bigger issues.

First,, one of the vines had wrapped itself around the majority of her head, effectively gagging her. Twice in two days. Zatanna was always getting into this type of trouble in Gotham. Her second pressing issue was the vine or some of it’s friends were wrapping around the rest of her, tightening as she tied struggling against them.

After what seemed like five minutes of futile struggling against the vines; the vines withdrew and Zatanna went crashing down to her knees.

“Are you hurt?” Bruce asked. Zatanna appreciated the concern she could hear in his Batman voice.

“No. I don’t think I’m going to bruise. I guess this means Nightwing’s attacker used magic.” Zatanna teased, somewhat surprised to see Bruce kneeling in front of her, almost looking as concerned as he sounded.

Behind Bruce Zatanna could see the flowers on the surrounding vines shifting from a vicious red to a cooler violet and settling on a pale blue. The vines had drawn comfortably back from Bruce and Zatanna.

“My being here is the reason the Woods restrained you. Usually they eject vandals from the building.” Bruce apologized as he helped Zatanna to her feet.

“At least, they weren’t throwing apples at me,” Zatanna joked. Pleased when she saw Bruce’s smirk.

“The Woods won’t hurt anyone who isn’t Poison Ivy,” Bruce reassured. Zatanna wasn’t sure she was the person he was trying to reassure; but, she didn’t point that out.

“She didn’t get covered under the understanding.” Zatanna asked rhetorically. There were several different urban myths about what happened to Poison Ivy’s victims. Looks like the one about turning her victims into planets might not be as much of a myth as Zatanna had first thought. If true, Zatanna could see why the Woods would want to kill Poison Ivy.

Bruce shook his head. “The Woods are willing to allow you to try again.” He said after surveying the Woods around them.

“With that interruption out of the way. Back to business. Tsap eht laever.”

Zatanna could feel the magic drifting around the room, snaking itself into the aura of the area searching for hints of recent magic and conflict. Her spell would pull up the shadows of the past for Zatanna and Bruce.

Zatanna wasn’t expecting more than a glimpse of the attacker or conformation the apple had been here. If they were lucky, the state of Nightwing if he’d been here. Images from the magic wouldn’t last last long unless there was a significant impression left, either mystical or emotional. Baby-bird Dick’s account implied his change occurred on the way to the manor. Zatanna’s assumption was where the major impacts actually occurred.

Zatanna was quickly proven wrong.

As the magic began to settle it weaved itself into the Woods, causing a shift in the fabricate of the spell.

Nightwing walked into the room. Zatanna and Bruce, could see him as clearly as if they’d been standing there the evening before.

“The depiction of past events is more detailed than how your spell normally reveals them,” Bruce noted. His attention focused entirely on Nightwing.

“When you cast this type of spell on a person you would be seeing an effect similar to this one,” Zatanna explained with fascination. “I never imagined you could get the same type of an effect from a living...room.” Why wouldn’t the spell work the same if the room was sentient. Zatanna wasn’t one for the research side of magic; there were a few people she knew who would be very interested in hearing about how plant monsters affected this particular spell.

“Nightwing arrived before the attacker,” Bruce observed.

Zatanna agreed with Bruce. Nightwing looked almost chipper, better than anyone, outside of the Titans had seen him in awhile. He was chatting to the Woods, petting the vines here and there. The vines were, like with Bruce, rubbing around his boots.

Zatanna could also see why Bruce knew something had happened in the Woods. In this reflection of the past, the entirety of the Woods was covered with flora. Wisps of light were fluttering through the vines. Odd little plants, several of which seemed almost alien in origin, were littered on every surface, including a few of the vines. The colors were different, brighter more vibrant. Several of the flowers on the various flora petals were shifting colors on a beat that Zatanna had a suspicion was a heartbeat.

Nightwing stopped walking and leaned against the remains of one of the club’s tables at the far end of the room. A few of the vines began to curl up his arms and legs. One of the smaller plants was attempting to crawl up his back.

Zatanna glanced at Bruce curious about his reaction. She wasn’t as surprised as she should be to see Bruce’s almost wistful smile.

The Woods went mute. The colors paled. The movement of the plants stopped as well as the pulsing of the flowers. Dick didn’t tense. He did straighten and look towards the entrance.

“What an exquisite garden.” Zatanna didn’t recognize the tacky costumed man who walked into the ballroom. Here she’d thought she’d memorized all the players who may have crashed her Gotham shows.

“Tapestry.” Bruce murmured in time with Nightwing’s quip, “New color scheme, same old duds. Dan you can do better.”

Zatanna had to agree with Nightwing, the weird medieval bard getup didn’t work quite as well when it was entirely gold. The freaky looking gem in his forehead wasn’t doing the Tapestry any favors.

“A pity. I heard your sense of humor had left you once your moved from the Bat’s fiefdom.” The Tapestry lamented. “Alas I’m not here to exchange a battle of wits with fair Gotham’s prodigal squire. I have information for you.” He pulled something out of his jerkin with a flourish, Zatanna would have been proud of in other circumstances. He held the item up for Nightwing.

Flame-Bird’s Lament.

“No questions,” Zatanna concluded, “This is the thing that enchanted Nightwing.”

Magic as bleeding off the apple; that would explain why the enchantment didn’t have the energy to last more than a few days. What it didn’t explain was how something like that could have ended up in a museum. One of the stray spells Zatanna hadn’t been able to identify in her previous examinations of the apple was slipping out of the mess of the enchantment.

“Don’t you usually weave stories? Isn’t selling information beneath you.” Zatanna looked back at the shadow of Nightwing with concern. His voice hadn’t sounded the same as it had before. Zatanna couldn’t place the change. His voice hadn’t wavered exactly. Something was off.

“What’s the apple doing?” Bruce asked quietly beside her. They weren’t the only ones who’d picked up on the change. The Woods had started hissing; not quite as loud as it had when it attacked Zatanna but enough to be noticed. Red was bleeding into the flowers.

“Countless are the ways of weaving a tale.” Even while the Tapestry spoke, Dick’s eyes were focused entirely on the Flame-Bird’s Lament. “The sharing of information is one of the most common method of shaping a tale. Would you not agree?”

Zatanna turned her attention back to the spell that had activated by the apple’s reveal. With the current spell Zatanna was using, deciphering the enchantment of Flame-Bird’s Lament was even more impossible than her previous attempts. The Woods, while appearing magical, weren’t as a result, the Woods’ memories couldn’t capture the consistency of the spell.

Still the Woods perception of magic was higher than that of an ordinary non-magical...sentient. Zatanna could make out the spell to a degree. She couldn’t see the words for the spell now that it was untangled from the rest of the enchantment. She could see the structure of the spell, and that was enough to know what its purpose was.

“A lure.” Zatanna nodded to confirm Bruce’s speculation. “From what little I can tell, the spell’s designed to draw in seekers of knowledge.” How had the apple gotten to Metropolis without being eaten my one of the researchers? Was there a trigger?

“How do you even know about the Cult of Blood?” Nightwing demanded of the Tapestry while making a calming gesture to the Woods behind him. Eyes still on the apple.

“I know nothing of which you speak. I am but a messenger for my lady of stories. If you will partake of this apple, all of your queries will be resolved.” The Tapestry really needed to get some better dialogue. If he didn’t have a magical apple in his hands, no one would have fallen for that.

“You want me to eat that apple and then you’ll tell me what your employer knows about the Cult.” Even with the enchantment working on him, Dick sounded doubtful. “It looks like its covered in gold.”

“The most tender of metals. One bite and all your answers will be revealed.”

Nightwing started walking towards Tapestry. The vines of the Wood started tugging on Nightwing’s boots in an attempt to stop him. Nightwing bent down to shush them. While the vines sulked away, at least that was the best way Zatanna could describe it, the hissing started growing louder.

“Okay. Just a bite?” Nightwing took the apple from the Tapestry’s hand hesitantly. Hesitation wasn’t going to help him now. The spell was wrapped around him too tightly.

Zatanna put a hand on Bruce’s shoulder. When Nightwing bit into the apple, Bruce didn’t shake it off.

For a moment nothing out of the ordinary happened. Despite being plated in gold, the apple bite came off like any other apple and Nightwing swallowed it without trouble.

Then the enchantment began..

Nightwing collapsed to the ground choking hard. The vines nearest to him covered him protectively while several others at the Tapestry. Under the vines, Zatanna and Bruce could see the glow of the enchantment taking hold over Nightwing.

Another bust of-fire magic came from Tapestry. Did he have another magical artifact? Zatanna couldn’t see in the confusion of the Woods’ memories. The imagines were turning bright red and hot.

“Batman, calm the Woods down, we need to see what happens next.” Zatanna kept her voice calm, as to not further frighten the Woods. She’d forgotten the Woods were viewing the memories along with them.

Whatever Bruce did worked because the scene quickly returned to clarity. The vines were still covering a choking Nightwing. The ones that had attacked Tapestry were holding back, several of them looked burned.

“My lady has quite the story to tell you. If you would be inclined to come with me peaceably, I will spare this illustrious garden.”

Nightwing struggled to his feet with the vines attempting to steady him. “Are you using gadgets?” Nightwing choked out. “That seems out of character.”

The Tapestry puffed himself at the insult. “The story is a creation of impromptu. I her most faithful servant keep her way-”

The Tapestry’s speech was interrupted by a pair of Wing Dings flung at him from Nightwing. Before Tapestry could react, Nightwing was off the ground and pinning Tapestry down with the assistance of the vines.

“I don’t like sticking to the script either.” Nightwing seemed to have gotten his breathing under control for the moment. “Now if you’ll tell me who you’re working for, I’ll be willing to let you go. If not, I don’t think Batman’s fed the Woods recently. With all this excitement, I have a feeling they’re getting hungry.”

“I hope you enjoy the enlightenment my lady has in story for you.” The Tapestry was gone in a flash of magic.

“A teleportation spell.” If her spell to see the past hadn’t interwoven with the room, Zatanna could have followed whatever spell Tapestry used. As it was she was going to have to rely on Batman to find him.

Nightwing gasped. Without the vines blocking her view Zatanna could see the enchantment weaving itself through Nightwing’s body. Nightwing curled into himself and began choking harder than before.

The hissing shifted into a comforting purr and the reds went from aggressive to a warmer tone as the vines started to cover Nightwing up again.

With the ending of the excitement, the images were beginning to fade.

“I’m fine.” Dick started trying to stand up. “I’m just going to get checked out by the big guy.” With those last words the memories were gone, leaving Zatanna and Bruce in the Woods of the present.

“He went to the right place” Zatanna tried to comfort Bruce.

“Can you trace the spell he used?” Bruce demanded while still looking where Nightwing had been in the memories.

“Not with the interference from the Woods.” Zatanna explained scanning the dance floor for a trace of the apple. They hadn’t seen Tapestry pick the apple up. It was possible he had when the Woods had gotten upset. If he hadn’t, they could just follow Dick’s trail back to the manor. Hopefully, if Nightwing had ended up with the apple, someone hadn’t stumbled upon it since then.

“I know where Tapestry lives.” Bruce growled.

“I thought you might.” Zatanna turned from Bruce to address the Woods around them. “Thank you for the help.”

Behind her she could hear Bruce say softly. “We’ll get him back.”

* * *

“We have three options on dealing with the professor.” Jason tugged at the clasp of the Robin costume. Standing on a rooftop, preparing for a stakeout felt unreal compared to the last few months.

“We can do what Batman said. Just stay put and watch.” Jason counted off the options on his fingers as he listed them. “If we’re picking that one we need to pick a better spot, because it’s going to start raining soon.”

Kara considered the option with a playful twist of her head. “Rain’s never a problem for me.”

“Yeah, one of the less mentioned perks of invulnerability. Option two is where we create a distraction and break into her apartment and see if there are any clues. There wasn’t anything on her work computers, maybe, we’ll get lucky on her home computer.” More than likely the information they were looking for would be on the home computer or written down in a journal or something. From what Jason had found on Grimm he didn’t see how she could possibly have another place were the information could be stored.

“Option three, we question her.”

“Is that the throw her off Lex Corp to see if she talks option,” Kara stated with skepticism. Jason flushed wishing he hadn’t suggested doing that the last time they’d done a case in Metropolis together. “Are you sure those are all the options. Aren’t we going to include interrogating the Metropolis PD or stealing Grimm’s phone.”

Jason wasn’t sure how to take Kara being irritated by her failure with Detective Sawyer. Police Officers being belligerent with superheros was pretty normal in Gotham, other than with Commissioner Gordon. From what Jason had heard from other heroes, it was pretty normal across the country.

“If the Detective isn’t going to tell her local hero about a robbery, she’s not going to tell me,” Jason responded. He wasn’t sure if it was true, but did not want to find out either way. Kara did have a bit of a tempter. “I should have clarified the options. They’re ones we can do together. I don’t need to be there if you want to steal Grimm’s phone.”

Jason didn’t need to be there for any of them. Kara didn’t need him to handle anything. She could even deal with the boredom of a stakeout without him. Kara wanted him there. That’s what Jason was going to focus on.

“I’ll need you to help crack the password.,” Kara said with a sweet smile. Jason couldn’t tell if she was teasing him or not.

“Come on, which one do you want to do.” Jason hoped his voice didn’t sound desperate.

Kara sat up straighter, her lips thinned as she turned over the options in her mind. Jason gripped the edge of the roof as he waited ages for her to make her decision.

“I don’t know, Robin. Any of them are fine with me. I’m not the one who’s trying to show my mentor I can handle myself.”

That was Jason’s problem with all this. Bruce had told Jason multiple times not to engage with Grimm in any shape or form. If she had targeted Nightwing, there was a possibility she would be targeting Robin. Along with the warning, Grimm could have other magic available to her. Jason didn’t like the implication. Could he make sure Kara was safe from a professor who hadn’t ever done anything before cursing Nightwing with a magic apple?

Jason had a plan for breaking Bruce’s rules. Kara didn’t answer to Bruce. So if she were willing to lie about how she got the information, then everything would be fine. Jason didn’t know if she’d be willing to do that. Kara was weird about what she would and wouldn’t lie about.

At this point Jason had already broken the rule. They’d checked out both Grimm’s offices, at the university and the museum, which Bruce hadn’t explicitly stated as off limits. Jason was sure if Bruce had been thinking clearly, he would have.

Jason wasn’t thinking clearly either. At the beginning of all this he’d planned to be Kara’s backup. Nothing that had happened so far was reason enough to change the original plan. If the professor did attempt to use magic against Kara, Jason would be close enough to help.

“You’re right. I think-” Jason was cut off by Kara’s head jerking towards Grimm’s apartment. “Grimm is making a call.”

Jason tensed. Stakeouts with Kara required a level of trust Jason knew Bruce wouldn’t be comfortable with Jason having. Jason still wasn’t comfortable with that level of trust. He would prefer having a Bat patented devise to listen in rather than hearing a conversation being relayed by Kara.

“Don’t get too excited. She could be calling anyone,” Jason warned as he watched Kara get to her feet.

“Anyone who happens to be using a voice modulator.” This time Jason was pretty sure Kara was relaying information rather than teasing him. It was in the realm of possibilities that whoever was calling could be unrelated to their case. Jason’s experience with Batman said that was unlikely.

“So far Grimm has been berating them for targeting the wrong person.” Kara frowned. “I can’t understand the person on the other end of the line. It isn’t the modulator, there’s a weird static.”

Lightning crashed behind them. Jason jerked. “Could it be the storm?”

Kara responded with a shrug. She was more focused on the conversation than him. “Grimm is demanding they bring her the victim regardless if they were the intended target. She has to know if the enchantment was a success.”

Jason had a terrible feeling... if Bruce ended up with that bit of information, his conclusion would be that Robin was the original target rather than Nightwing. Wasn’t that a crazy conclusion to jump to. Almost as crazy as a random professor from Metropolis targeting Nightwing. That’s why Jason knew Bruce’s paranoia would turn in that direction. He was never going to be Robin again.

“Now she is telling them they should have done the job themselves.”

A private contractor? Jason had considered there had been one earlier in the investigation. Not like this. He hadn’t guessed so many people were involved in whatever Dick Grayson had gotten himself into.

There was another strike of thunder closer to them.

“Wait, the other line is getting clear. They are telling Grimm they are handling all the loose ends.”

There went the contractor. Jason frowned if the mysterious caller was tying up loose ends, then Grimm was endanger. Before he could voice his suspicions to Kara, she said them. “They’re going to kill her.” Kara was gone before Jason could blink, before he could remind her they could be magic users.

Jason pulled his grapple gun out of his belt in time to see the entire apartment complex go up in a bust of flame.

* * *

There weren’t any pictures of older Dick in the manor.

After talking to Roy, Dick calmed down enough to realize, maybe, he was overreacting to the future. Bruce was always telling him to slowdown and consider why he was making the decisions he was making. When everyone else had left for the investigation, Dick had lots of time to slowdown as he helped Alfred bake cookies for Miss Kara.

There could be a reason why Bruce had lied about older Dick not having his own room anymore. Lots of Bruce’s friends didn’t live with their parents since becoming adults. Given how old Roy was, older Dick had to be an adult now. Dick Grayson could have his own apartment in Gotham away from the Manor.

Jason may not like older Dick because he didn’t think of himself as Bruce’s kid, yet. The pictures of Jason, Bruce, and Alfred were all of a Jason who was older than Dick had been when Bruce had become his guardian. If Jason didn’t think he was Bruce’s kid, then he wouldn’t think older Dick was his brother.

Dick’s original idea for why Jason hadn’t liked him was true. Jason was mad Dick had broken up his date with Kara. \

Beast Boy was probably all wrong about older Dick. The quiet lady, Raven, seemed to think highly of older Dick. Roy didn’t say anything about Dick being different. Older Dick and Beast Boy probably didn’t click because Beast Boy didn’t like puns or something.

Dick had almost decided he had just gotten overwhelmed, like Bruce always said, and was jumping to the wrong conclusions. Going to get information from a murderous, alternate universe version of yourself was a pretty silly idea. Dick almost believed that until he settled down at Bruce’s desk to wait for everyone to return.

Two pictures were on the desk: one with Bruce with older Dick and one with Bruce and Jason. There wasn’t one with all three of them. Dick could believe Jason didn’t think Bruce was his dad. Dick didn’t. Bruce would never believe something like that. Bruce would have made them have a family picture even if Jason hadn’t liked older Dick.

One missing picture didn’t mean anything. Bruce always said don’t make decisions from one point of data. With that in mind, Dick tore the Manor apart looking for pictures of all three of them. Only to find that not only weren’t there pictures of them together as a family, there weren’t any pictures of older Dick in the Manor.

Dick had found lots and lots of pictures of Dick Grayson at varies ages in the photo albums Alfred kept for Bruce in the library. No one thought Dick would go looking through those. They would have been right if Dick hadn’t come to his awful conclusion that older Dick wasn’t around.

Some of the pictures in the album Dick recognized. Alfred was amazing with the camera. Dick hadn’t even known Alfred had taken any pictures. Most of the pictures were of older Dick, before he was older Dick. Dick thought he looked happy in them. So did Bruce. The last picture, just like the picture on Bruce’s desk, was from sometime before older Dick had become Nightwing.

Probably a while before, because Dick found several newspaper clips of Nightwing in Bruce’s desk. He used them as a comparison between the other pictures to gauge his age. Older Dick’s hair had grown out a lot from his last picture with Bruce and the last news article about Nightwing.

Dick had found a few pictures of older Dick and the sidekicks, in their civilian clothing. He hadn’t found any of the non-sidekick Titans.

Worst of all, there were no pictures of older Dick after Jason’s pictures started showing up in the album.

Jason didn’t like Dick Grayson because of a date, or because Jason didn’t think they were brothers.

Jason hadn’t like, Dick because he didn’t even know older Dick.

Dick had reminded himself to slowdown and find all of the available information before…making any mistakes.

Dick ran into every room in the Manor looking for any sort of photo or painting of older Dick. The walls were just like the album, full of pictures before Nightwing, none afterwards.

Dick even asked Alfred when was the last time older Dick had visited the Manor. Alfred had lied. Dick couldn’t remember what Alfred had said, other than recently. That was a lie.

After that Dick had to know everything about what older Dick had been doing.

Getting on the internet ended up being a lot easier than Dick would have imagined. Like the album, he wouldn’t have ever considered sneaking into Alfred’s room to use his computer.

There was nothing, absolutely nothing about Dick’s future on the internet.

Nightwing’s future was all over the internet. Dick couldn’t even read any of the articles because they were full of him giving terrible interviews about Uncle Clark and all the other heroes.

There could be reasons for older Dick saying all those terrible things about everyone, the Mad Hatter was all about mind control. The Cult of Blood could, maybe, do that sort of thing. Even Bruce could get hit by stuff like that.

Dick Grayson wasn’t any better. He was living in an apartment with a model named Kori Anders, who Dick guessed was Kori from the Titans. Other than that there was no job, he’d quite college before he’d left living with Bruce, and that was all Dick could find about himself.

Dick hadn’t wanted to be anything more than a superhero since he’d started being Robin. Older Dick might have just done that. You didn’t need to go to college to be a hero, right.

What Dick couldn’t explain away, no matter how hard he tried to slowdown, was that older Dick hadn’t been in Gotham for awhile. Nightwing hadn’t been officially spotted in Gotham. There were a few rumors of a meetup between Nightwing and Robin, about a year ago. Those were just rumors.

Dick knew, he knew, he’d never leave Bruce all alone like that. They were partners.

Even if Bruce sometimes treated him like a child. Dick treated Bruce like a kid to some of the time. That’s how partners worked.

What about Jason? With work and the Justice League, Bruce wasn’t home a lot of the time. Dick knew from looking through Jason’s room that he didn’t have many friends. Why would older Dick have left Jason all alone like that? New York wasn’t that far away.

Dick didn’t need to know what type of person he was in the future. He needed to know how to stop himself from being that person.

Here Dick was again on top of the containment cell looking down on Talon. This time Dick didn’t feel any hesitation. Everything he’d found out about older Dick becoming a zombie serial killer wasn’t true. So there wasn’t any thing scary about Talon.

“Hey, Murder Me,” Dick announced standing over the cell.

Talon had been doing one of the meditations Dick had learned from Bruce. Dick’s voice pulled Talon out and he looked up at Dick. “Hey, Mini Me come to hear your fortune?”

Dick took a breath. A voice that sounded a lot like Bruce was telling him this was a bad idea. Batman and Robin talked to bad guys all the time to get information on other bad guys. Talking to Talon wasn’t any different than shaking down the Penguin.

“Why doesn’t Jason like us?” Dick hadn’t meant to ask that question at all. It just slipped out of his mouth. He should have asked, why he wasn’t living in the Manor; that was the important question. If Dick wasn’t scared anymore he should have asked that one.

Talon stood up and took a few moments to stretch before leaning against the wall. Talon’s posture was relaxed, those eyes were watching Dick with intensity. “That is the question you’re asking?” Talon smiled in amusement. This smile looked more real than the one Talon had given Dick earlier. “It’s been a long time since I cared about anything like that.”

“You and Jason don’t get along either.” Dick didn’t know why he was shocked. If Nightwing didn’t get along with his family, why would Talon.

Talon chuckled. “I don’t think we ever really got along.”

“You aren’t answering my question?” Dick almost shouted. Talon wasn’t treating any of this seriously. He wasn’t treating their family seriously.

“You know, Jason liking you or not isn’t important. What is important-” Dick interrupted Talon, because Dick didn’t want to know what was important to someone who murdered seven people in less than a night. “Of course, it’s important. Family is the most important.” Dick shouldn’t be yelling. Bruce didn’t show any emotions when he was doing interrogations. Why couldn’t Dick do that now?

“Family like Haly’s.” Dick didn’t understand why Talon was saying Haley’s like an accusation.

“The Circus wasn’t allowed to keep me. The government didn’t let them.” They had wanted to keep Dick on after his parents had died. Dick could still remember them saying how much they wanted him before child services took him away.

“You don’t know about Haly.” Talon’s face went entirely blank, not like how Bruce’s would.

“What do you mean?” Dick knew everything about Haly’s Circus. He still followed the Circus as best he could. He wrote to some of the other performers.

“You don’t need to know.” Talon shook his head. His expression returned to easygoing causal with those too intense eyes. “Before you interrupted me, I was going to tell you what is actually important to to us. Do you want to hear that or do you want to get caught by Bruce before you get a chance to fix things.”

Dick nodded hesitantly. Bruce and everyone else should be getting back soon. Alfred may realize Dick wasn’t in bed. They should be hurrying this along.

“Keeping them safe is what matters. Bruce, Jason…” Talon trailed off for a breath with a look of melancholy. “You haven’t met the rest of them. You don’t matter, they do. So what if Jason doesn’t want to spend time with you. Wouldn’t you rather he be alive than with you.”

Dick nodded again. His chest was starting to ache like the last time watching Talon.

“If you want them to be safe, then you need to let me out of here to finish what I’ve started.” Talon sounded serious. He wasn’t even pretending to be easygoing anymore.

“Killing rich socialites like Bruce?” Dick countered. Because no matter how much he did want to protect his family, he couldn’t do it that way. Bruce’s way was the right way to do things.

Talon’s face went back to the eerily blank expression. “No more killing rich socialites or Bruce,” Talon murmured to himself. To Dick.,“There is just one more thing I have to do then this is all over. No one else has to die. Everyone will be safe. Bruce. Jason. Isn’t that what you want?”

Dick wanted to know how to fix things. He didn’t want what Talon was offering.

“I know you would have done anything to save your parents. Don’t you feel the same about Bruce? Wouldn’t you do anything to save him?”

Dick bit his lip before he could say he would. He would do anything to save Bruce. This wasn’t the right way of doing it. If Talon would tell Dick what happened Dick, could fix things himself.

“If you aren’t going to answer my questions, I’m not going to talk to you.” Dick said trying to sound like Bruce would with someone like Talon.

Talon smirked at him.

The Cave alarm went off. Dick froze. Anyone coming in from the entrance would be able to see Dick. He wasn’t going to be able to fix anything.

“Alfred,” Jason shouted. He sounded desperate. “Alfred. Kara’s hurt. Alfred.”

Dick leaped off the cell. He looked up after he landed. Jason was struggling to lift a...really hurt Supergirl. She looked bad.

“I’m here. I can help.” Dick shouted. He could. Dick could help everyone.

* * *

Riding in the Bat-mobile was always an experience. One Zatanna couldn’t avoid this evening. Her magical reserves weren’t entirely running on empty; yet, they were getting close with all the heavy spell work she’d been doing. Right now wasting energy on teleporting to the Tapestry was an unnecessary risk.

“Daniel Herring was a washed up television actor turned screen writer.” Besides if Zatanna had teleported them there, she would have missed Bruce’s exposition on their criminal.

“He wrote a script for a modernized retelling of Atalanta and Melanion. The script was stolen by Mallory Hills of Warner Brothers Studios. Hills turned Mallory’s script into a summer blockbuster that brought in billions. Herring never saw a penny. In retaliation, he became Tapestry. Stealing what was stolen from him.”

“Sounds a little tame for one of your regulars,” Zatanna commented. She vaguely remembered hearing about the affair from Mikey a few years ago. Was it from Mikey? Regardless, someone from the crew had been complaining about how their favorite soap star had their big break stolen from them. Herring must have been doing poorly for a writing job to be considered a big break.

“Herring robbed from the cast, crew, and producers by recreating scenes from their biggest movies.”

“Now that sounds more like one of your guys.”

“Herring spent three years in Arkham before being released with a promising evaluation.” Bruce paused as the Bat-mobile pulled up in front of Daniel Herring’s home.

Zatanna would say Herring’s home wasn’t the strangest criminal lair she had seen before. It didn’t even rank in the top twenty. Still the ordinary appearance of the house did surprise her. The house was a picture perfect suburban house with a well kept garden. There were a few gnomes under the bushes. On this street even that didn’t stand out.

“As far as anyone was aware, Herring had cleaned up his act. He was picked up by a publishing company on his release. All of his books had been successful. There were no records of him threatening any of his former victims. For the last three years there hadn’t been any crimes in Gotham matching his MO.”

“Until his lady arrived,” Zatanna stated rather than questioned. Super-criminals re-imagined themselves nearly as much as the superheroes they faced. It was entirely possible Herring changed his entire MO and added a bit of magic to his act. Herring being influenced by his lady seemed like more of a possibly.

Bruce gave her a clipped nod. “Herring performed his original crimes with theater equipment and hired thugs. Stage magic was the only magic he used.”

“Do you have a plan for this?” Zatanna questioned. “Or are we busting in my way.”

There was a car in the driveway as nondescript as the rest of the lot. The lights were off in the house, but at this time of night that wouldn’t be unusual. There were no solid indications if Herring was home or not.

“Do you sense any magic?” Bruce spoke after him examined the house. Bruce without a plan. Wasn’t that a frightening situation to be in?

“I don’t sense the apple,” Zatanna answered with a frown. “For anything else I’ll need to be out of the car for a reading.”

Bruce opened her door as his response.

Zatanna stepped into the night-morning air. Reaching out with her sense and finding nothing out of the ordinary.

“Tceted cigam.” The spell was simple, sweet and would likely not set off any wards. With the luck Zatanna had been having, she wasn’t going to put much faith in the last part.

“Nothing. All that means is he didn’t bring any of his magical toys home with him. That and he isn’t a natural caster,” Zatanna reported. Relieved she’d been wrong about her luck on this one. “Why not see if Herring is home this fine morning?” Even if he wasn’t at home, they would be able to check his house for clues to were he was, and more importantly where the apple was.

“My way. You need to reserve your magic in case the lady arrives.”

“As you wish.” Zatanna gave Bruce a bow. “Lead the way.”

Bruce’s way usually wasn’t through the front door. With everything happening Zatanna should have been grateful he didn’t kick down the door, or should she. Zatanna wouldn’t have minded the excitement. If they had done things her way, it wouldn’t have been anymore stealthy than smashing the door down.

Their arrival was greeted by stench. Death. Zatanna recognized the smell immediately, and it wasn’t from a recent death. Bruce had a light pulled out and shining in the center of Herring’s living room. Herring was there with his chest cavity wide open. Zatanna hadn’t been more wrong about her luck.


	6. Chapter 6

Kara said she was good. She had said the same when she had collapsed by Jason on the roof. She said the same when she collapsed into unconsciousness after getting back to the cave. Jason hadn’t believed her then and didn’t believe her now.

Kara would glance over to him every few minutes and give Jason a smile before turning back to her conversation with baby-bird Dick. Jason had lost track of whatever they had been talking about an hour ago.

He didn’t know what trouble Dick had been getting into in the cave. Jason knew he should care. Bruce had expected Jason to watch out for Dick. Right now he was just glad the kid had been in the cave when they had arrived.

Apparently, even at his age, Dick had been Robin long enough to have patched up Bruce a few times.

Jason’s hands hadn’t been working when they had gotten here. They were still shaking.

Kara gave him another smile and Jason distantly realized she was trying to draw him into the conversation. Jason shook his head.

Kara getting injured had been his fault. If Jason wasn’t benched, they would have handled Grimm differently. They would have been throwing her off Lex tower for information. Kara wouldn’t have gotten hurt. They wouldn’t have let Grimm die. They would have been closer to fixing Dick. None of that happened because Jason was benched.

Bruce had called them forty minutes ago, frantic for Bruce, to see if they were alright. The other lead in Jason’s case had ended up dead too.

If Bruce hadn’t benched him... If Dick Grayson hadn’t done the cult thing. Jason didn’t even know who he was angry with at the moment.

“They’re back,” Kara said as she shifted to a more upright position with a wince. It was all Jason’s fault.

Dick had the audacity to look worried about getting caught. Like Bruce was even going to do anything to Dick, even if he had been older Dick.

Jason stood up with a sigh and positioned himself mostly in front of Dick. He could feel the kid relax behind him. They were planning on lying to Bruce about why Dick had been down here in the first place. Alfred wouldn’t have noticed Dick hadn’t followed him down. So they were just going to tell Bruce Dick had come down to help.

Batman walked into medical with tension coming off him in waves. Dick cringed. Jason could hear Kara whispering an encouragement behind him.

Zatanna followed behind looking worried. Jason had never seen Zatanna worried before. What was more unsettling was seeing Bruce still wearing the cowl.

“You’re off the case,” Bruce stated without preamble.

“What!” Jason was on his feet before he could even process he’d shouted at Bruce in front of everyone. Did it even matter? Jason had known this was coming, for months. Bruce was going to permanently bench him. “This is my case.”

“Not anymore. Whoever is behind this has escalated the situation.” For how tense Bruce was standing, his voice was completely blank, like he didn’t even care. “We know of at least two people who have been killed. That isn’t including the residents of Grimm’s apartment complex.”

Jason winced. Bruce had to throw that back at him, even though Jason could have handled it if he’d been allowed.

“You reported the possibility that Nightwing wasn’t the intended target.” Bruce continued like he hadn’t even seen Jason’s reaction. Jason knew he shouldn’t have told Bruce about that part of the call. He wouldn’t have if Kara hadn’t been burned to a crisp when Jason had called Bruce.

“Regardless, if Nightwing was the intended target, he is apparently their current one. The orchestrator knew Nightwing’s activities enough to draw him to Gotham. It’s likely they knew enough to connect him with us.”

“I’m not the one who gave all of our secrets away to some cult because my girlfriend broke up with me.” Jason didn’t shout. He was breathing hard and had started shaking again, but he hadn’t shouted.

Behind him he heard Kara hiss his name. Jason knew he couldn’t think about how all this was going to fall out with her. Maybe it didn’t matter because he wasn’t going to be Robin again. It wasn’t like she’d need him anymore.

Zatanna put a hand over her face with...annoyance. Jason wasn’t that interested in Zatanna’s response. Bruce was all he cared about.

“You know that isn’t want happened.” Bruce still sounded so calm. Jason had expected Bruce to snap back or go cold like he did most of the times they argued.

Bruce was right. Jason knew that wasn’t what happened with Dick Grayson. Still that hadn’t stopped Bruce from acting like it had been Dick’s fault. “What am I supposed to think? You’ve had me on lock-down since it happened. I know you think I’m him. I know everyone thinks I’m him.”

A breeze blew past Jason causing him to pause. baby-bird Dick. Kara must have taken him out of here.

“I’m not him. I can handle myself. I could have kept Kara safe if you hadn’t held me back.” With Kara gone, Jason could say the last part. She would have never forgiven him if he’d said it when she was here. She probably wasn’t going to forgive him anyway.

“I can handle myself. Even if you won’t see that.” There, Jason has said everything, now it was time to see Bruce’s response.

Bruce took off the cowl. Jason tensed. Bruce looked a little tired, which for Bruce meant he hadn’t sleep in the past few days. Mostly, Bruce looked...Jason didn’t want to think about how Bruce was looking at him.

Jason was out of medical without a word, without much of a thought. He wasn’t even sure how he’d gotten past Bruce and Zatanna without bumping into either of them.

Jason could have dealt with an argument. He could have dealt with anything other than Bruce looking sympathetic.

* * *

“You were right about Jason not wanting to talk.” Zatanna ran a hand through her hair. Her thoughts were heavy with the realization Zachary was going to be a teenager in a few years.

Bruce made a grunt of acknowledgment of either Zatanna’s statement or her general presence, she wasn’t sure at this point.

Running on a few hours of sleep was more Bruce’s way of operating than Zatanna’s. In the magical world emergencies were either a there and then issue or you had twenty years to figure them out. Some times in the former case an all nighter was required for the emergence. In the later, you only lost sleep if you were into worrying, which Zatanna wasn’t.

Speaking of emergencies… this case had once again taken another twist that raised the stakes.

Daniel Herring had his still beating heart ripped out of his chest by a Zmeu. In all likelihood Regina Grimm had been murdered by the same beast. While Herring’s home wasn’t as cooperative with her spell as the Woods, she’d seen enough to identify the beast in question. A humanoid dragon, thief if Zatanna could remember her folktales properly. She’d never bothered much with the stories of creatures that weren’t actually real.

There was the problem. According to Zatanna’s spell, the Zmeu in Herring’s home had been real, not an illusion or a construct. Anyone or anything with the power to turn a myth into flesh and blood wouldn’t be wasting their time turning superheroes into kids for mysterious benefactors.

Zatanna hadn’t heard anything from any of her contacts. There was a magical world ending force running around in Gotham. Last week, she’d had tea with Madame Xanadu, who hadn’t shared a warning with Zatanna. Zatanna would have thought the Hag would have mentioned a player like this in Gotham.

With their two leads dead, they were entirely back at the beginning with more murder and teen angst. Zatanna could have dealt with one and done without the other.

“You know I was going to tell you to lighten up on Jason.” Zatanna leaned against the Bat-computer with a frown. She noticed Bruce had Talon’s victims profiles on the computer. Still looking into that lead. “After our enchanting evening together, I should have said something sooner.”

Bruce nodded and, shockingly enough, he spoke, “I didn’t realize we haven’t been patrolling since the incident.”

Zatanna expected him to expand on the comment. The silence dragged on for a few more minutes before Zatanna had enough. “You still think they’re relevant.”

To Zatanna’s amazement, Bruce turned away from the computer and looked at her. “I haven’t decided. If the phone conversation wasn’t intended to mislead Kara, then I don’t believe they were relevant to the Zmeu.”

“You think they are possibly involved with the enchantment.” Zatanna was intrigued. She had thought Bruce’s investigation into Talon’s victims was entirely intended to solve Talon, not to get Dick Grayson back.

“Have you heard of the Court of Owl?” Bruce asked in all seriousness.

“From the nursery rhythm?” Zatanna questioned. She’d lived in Gotham on and off during her childhood so she had heard of the Court of Owls, vaguely. They were supposed to be a secret society that controlled all of Gotham from the shadows.

Bruce nodded grimly. “Their primary enforcer is called a Talon.” Bruce offered Zatanna a throwing knife which she accepted gingerly. “The hilt of Talon’s knives all have owls engraved on them.”

In deep concentration, Zatanna rubbed her thumb over the owl on the knife. “I can see why you are drawing your conclusion. Is there a reason you think they’re linked to Dick Grayson?” Zatanna flipped the knife in her hand before handing it back to Bruce. “Other than the obvious.”

“Each of Talon’s victims were donors to the Cult of Blood.”

“You think they’re the Court of Owl,” Zatanna wondered. She was starting to see how Bruce had come to this conclusion.. They were all from Gotham’s wealthy elite. While Zatanna didn’t know if it was the case for all of them, she did know the actress was from one of Gotham’s oldest families.

“I suspect they are involved with the Court. Seven people with their resources wouldn’t be able to run the entirely of Gotham. Why they are interested in Dick I don’t know?”

Zatanna considered the situation. “So I’m assuming you think they paid Blood to brainwash Nightwing, to make it easier for them to brainwash Dick Grayson later.” For a weird villain plot, this one seemed somewhat possible.

“Talon told me ‘it had already happened’. Blood starting the process would fit.” Zatanna could believe Bruce’s explanation other than it didn’t exactly tell her why the Court of Owl would want Dick split into two.

“Why would they want him to eat Flame-Bird’s Lament? Did they need their hit man early?” If that were the case they had gotten more than they bargained for.

“Something along those lines.” Bruce sounded hesitant, like he was confessing he hadn’t entirely thought through his line of reasoning. This is why you don’t work with family. Zatanna and her father had troubles with it when they’d been working together. Worrying about the people closest to you was how you made fatal mistakes. That was why Zatanna didn’t have Zachary as her sidekick. She knew she couldn’t work with him on more than the occasional team up.

“Bruce, this craziness isn’t your fault. I didn’t even know things were going to get this out of hand at the beginning.” Zatanna rested an arm on his shoulder.

“There is more than that. Before Nightwing was fully indoctrinated into the Cult, he came to the cave looking for help. Jason and I were on a case. I left him and didn’t even look back.”

“You’ve got this, Bruce. All we need to do is figure out why a great malevolent evil wants someone to have a learning experience about their light and darkness. Basic storybook stuff.”

Bruce frowned as he turned away from her to type a few commands in the computer. Zatanna wasn’t worried about his frown, it was the ‘I have an idea’ face.

“You said languages didn’t just disappear.” Bruce pulled up a picture of Flame-Bird’s Lament. “The researchers found three manuscripts describing one of the apple’s myths. None of them were written in the same language as the apple’s engraving.”

“I know. I ran a search on the language in your database and didn’t find a match. The language matches some of the words of the enchantment, that’s all I could find. I already told you my contacts hadn’t heard of it.”

“Did you check the Justice League Database?” Bruce stood up heading towards his second computer.

“No. Do you think it’s alien?” The apple was in Metropolis. Zatanna should have considered that possibility. She’d just thought that if it had been alien Kara would have recognized the words since there were similarities between the myths. Zatanna had been an idiot. Similar stories didn’t mean similar languages.

“Perhaps.” Bruce started working on the computer. “While you were checking up on the boys I ran a deeper search on Regina Grimm. She doesn’t exist.”

Zatanna blinked. “I checked her out. You checked her out. She has records dating back to her birth.”

“They’re all forgeries.” That was a shocking revelation Bruce should have opened with. This would explain another reason Bruce thought the Court of Owls was involved. An all powerful secret society would be able to create an identity that could fool Batman.

“Okay, so Regina Grimm has existed, what, six months, that’s when she started working at the University. Unless you think mental manipulate is also in the picture.” With the type of dark magic involved that was a frightening possibility.

“There’s more.”

“Of course, there is.”

“There is no apple.” What? They’d spent three days now looking for an apple. They’d seen the apple in a spell. There was an apple.

“Tell that to the Metropolis Museum of Natural Histories and too several of the archaeological journals.” Jason had been pretty thorough going over references to the apple.

“Faking an artifact isn’t any different than faking a person. I have a contact who follows several of those journals. The printed versions rather than the digital. There have been no articles on Flame-Bird’s Lament in the last three years. You were having difficulties finding a contact who knew about the artifact.”

Zatanna rubbed her forehead trying not to think about how the last few days had been a complete waste of time. “She new about the artifact from the local news. I guess the whole thing being fake would explain why no one knew about the language; it wouldn’t have existed either.”

“Not necessarily.” Bruce said. Zatanna was beginning to notice how intensely he was watching the computer run through the database.

“You know who is behind this,” Zatanna accused. Why didn’t she? Zatanna was pretty sure Bruce had put it all together in the last few minutes. While Zatanna wasn’t a regular of the Justice League, she did try to keep up to date with their mystical villains. This didn’t particularly seem like Morganna or Circe’s doing.

“I have a suspicion.” Bruce confirmed, right as the computer finished its analysis. Bruce always had the best timing.

“To the Fairest.” Zatanna read off the screen. There was something familiar about having that particular phrasing on a piece of fruit.

“In the story of Troy, Eris tossed an apple to three Goddess es that said –”

“’To the most beautiful’. Why the different wording?” Zatanna asked. The computer was beginning to pull up cases in connection with the language.

“Snow White is the fairest in all the land,” Bruce added unnecessarily as the truth was revealed.

Of course. The Queen of Fables. The lady of stories herself.

Zatanna couldn’t believe she hadn’t even considered the idea. The fairy tale themes and being able to recreate mystical creatures were her hallmarks. A language that didn’t exist. Snow White had banished all traces of the Queen from the world. Zatanna could understand someone not well versed in magic wanting to banish the vary language a dark caster used for their enchantments.

“I don’t know her objective.” Bruce started going over the files. Looking for clues on the Queen’s motivation. They may have time for that. Zatanna wasn’t feeling particularly patient. This case was getting to her.

“Let’s ask her.” Zatanna twisted her wrist summoning her hat.

“How do you know where she is?” Bruce frowned, not even turning from the information. Zatanna didn’t mind. She knew he wasn’t going to be doing that for long.

“There’s just one Hag in the story of Snow White.” Zatanna placed her hat on her head with a smirk. “I know just were she is.”

* * *

Kara was really, really sweet. Dick knew Jason was lucky to have her as a friend. Kara hadn’t said anything when he almost started crying. When...when they left medical, she just held him, singing softly in Kryptonian until he told her he wanted to be alone.

When she left, he waited a little bit longer in case someone checked on him. Dick doubted they would. Everything was Dick’s fault. They were all better off without him causing problems. Dick wasn’t going to be able to fix any of those problems after Zatanna wiped his mind before he went home. If he went home. He could still be older Dick. If he was, then that was even worse.

Dick had decided that no matter what he wasn’t going to be able to stop himself from abandoning Bruce and Jason and, the Titans. The Titans had to be his next victims. So if he couldn’t fix his past, he could fix things now.

Sneaking out of his room was as easy as it had been when Dick first moved here. It felt the same too. The guest room he was staying in was as strange as Dick’s room had been when he had moved into the manor.

He avoided running into anyone in the halls. That hadn’t been hard. Alfred would be in bed by now. Dick had heard Jason slam the door to their room when Kara had been with him. Dick didn’t actually know where Kara was. If she hadn’t gone home, he didn’t think she’d tell on him.

Bruce was exactly where Dick knew he would be down in the cave, obsessing. Dick had to stop himself from going over and telling Bruce he need to go to bed. That was what partners did for each other. Right now they weren’t partners.

Getting to Talon’s cell was also easy. Jason’s barrier blocked the view. Dick knew the trick of getting into the cave without setting off the sensor. The few feet he would be in the open were totally safe. When Bruce looked like that at the computer, he didn’t hear anything.

Talon was right. Dick was standing on the cell again watching Talon doing a series of stretches. Watching Talon reminded Dick of his father.

Dick would have been willing to do anything to have saved his parents. Sometimes, even now, he still thought about finding Zucco and making him pay for what he’d done. He didn’t because Bruce would have been upset. Bruce didn’t understand. He still thought people were inherently good. Dick knew better. That’s why Bruce needed Dick around.

“I’m in.” Dick whispered in case someone else came down.

“You’re sure,” Talon question while he flipped to his feet. His creepy eyes not leaving Dick’s face.

Dick nodded. They were going to fix everything for everyone.

* * *

“We’re just going to barge into her shop. In the middle of downtown Gotham. In the middle of morning rush hour.” Zatanna had come up with the particularly well thought out plan they were apparently going to use. Halfway into Gotham, Zatanna had expected Bruce to have protested. Nothing. Still nothing as he got out of the Bat-mobile and gave the shop a measured look.

“She’s waiting for us.” Zatanna wanted to disagree, except they were in the middle of downtown Gotham, in the middle of the morning rush hour. Only there were no other vehicles around or people. Students should be heading towards school. From Zatanna’s experience at Haggle with the Hag, this was a popular time for students to purchase curses for school.

Zatanna wondered what the Queen of Fables had done to clear the streets. She didn’t sense any magic other than the shops wards. Given Zatanna hadn’t known the owner was the Queen of Fables, her sense were more than useless.

How the Queen of Fables had been running a shop in Gotham at the same time she’d been sealed in her book was a mystery Zatanna would be unraveling with Madame Xanadu. If there were other places the Queen of Fables was operating under; they needed to close them.

“Are you sure we shouldn’t call in the Justice League?” Zatanna checked with Bruce. The streets were currently deserted. When the Queen summoned her dragon or Zmeu, in this case, it wouldn’t be in the middle of rush hour; however, Zatanna knew that could change in a blink of an eye.

“You’ve read her right. The Queen of Fables plays by her own rules. Now that we’re here to unveil her, she’ll want to gloat.” He was right, or Zatanna had been right. According to the Justice League files, the Queen liked setting up fairy tales and ending them appropriately. Well, that’s how Bruce read Wonder Woman and Superman’s reports on the Queen of Fables. Zatanna couldn’t blame him. It was odd the Queen could escape her book now when she hadn’t been able to for centuries.

How the Queen planned on Bruce and Zatanna thwarting her was going to be interesting?

Zatanna flipped her hat off to give Bruce her finale bow. “After you.”

Bruce nodded before confidently walking towards the shop with Zatanna following behind. If the Queen was acting out a mystery, then Bruce would be the Detective and Zatanna he assistant. No reason not to keep up the appearance.

The bells chimed, ‘welcome gracious lord,’ when Bruce crossed the threshold.

Zatanna smirked when Bruce’s shoulder’s stiffened. “You know it’s true.”

Zatanna had half expected the shop to have been cleared out before they’d gotten there. If they were dealing with the Hag, that’s what should have happened. Last time Zatanna had come here to confront the Hag about a mishap with one of her wares, Zatanna had caught the Hag in the parking lot attempting to stuff as much merchandise as she could in a beaten up truck.

They weren’t here for a Hag. They were here for the Queen.

“Zatanna, Dearie, have you finally brought your Dark Knight to my humble shop?” The Hag’s voice drifted in from somewhere in the maze of shelves. “I have just the thing for his current predicament.”

Zatanna thought about opening with, ‘I bet you do’. Starting with that would be more than a little cliché. Since they were dealing with the Queen of the cliches herself, Zatanna didn’t want to stoop to the Queen’s level.

“I should have known the only good magic shop in Gotham was run by a super-villain.” If Zatanna believed Bruce’s theories, all of Gotham was run by super-villains. Wasn’t that an unsurprising concept for this town.

“Dearie, you flatter me.” The Hag appeared from behind the shelves with a pleased smile that came off as more of a sneer. “I will say, Zatara’s daughter, I’ve never preferred the term villain.” As she spoke the Hag reached into her shirt to pull out a necklace with a simple disguise charm. “I prefer queen.”

The Hag pulled the charm off her neck. Magic bloomed out around her in sparks and colors, shaking the shelves, causing the lights to flicker, and the chimes to ring out, “the Queen.” Zatanna rolled her eyes at the gaudy display. The Queen may be powerful and theatrical, but she didn’t have a hint of good showmanship.

“Queen of Fables.” The light show faded with the Queen of Fables standing in the middle of the tacky shop, looking like the tackiest thing there.

“Did you enjoy my little mystery, my Lord?” The Queen turned her attention to Bruce.

“I’m not a fan of fairy tales,” Bruce countered coolly. At least he was being polite. Zatanna wasn’t a fan of mysteries. This one had to be the most ill conceived in all of fiction. How the Queen could stand there looking pleased and proud of her handly work was almost sad. Zatanna shouldn’t have expected more because it wasn’t like the Queen could even get fairy tales right in her clashes with the Justice League.

“I understand why.” The Queen lavishly waved her hand towards the entry. “Your city doesn’t do them well. Just seeing your Mad Hatter was embarrassment enough. His place in the story is quite obvious, yet, year after year he fails to fulfill his role.”

“Unlike Tapestry.”

The Queen placed a hand on her chest in mock sympathy. “Poor sweet Daniel. He stumbled into this vary shop looking for inspiration. The way he waxed about fulfilling our roles in stories was so uncommon among the bards of our day. I offered him an opportunity to become an actor in the grandest performance of his career. All he had to do was exchange his heart. A pity his aptitude for the craft wasn’t as strong as his passion for it.”

Part of the Zmeu being human, the heart in this case, would have made it seem less of a construct to Zatanna’s spell. That would be the type of grisly, dark magic the Queen of Fables would enjoy. Zatanna wondered if Grimm was made from a similar method. Had there been a professor who came to the shop looking for myths and ended up in one.

The Queen smiled to herself with delight. “I will admit, his confusion on the identity of the Dark Knight’s heir turned my rather traditional tale into a masterful one.”

“What do you mean?” Bruce growled a threat.

Page Break

Jason had no idea why Bruce would leave him in charge of baby-bird Dick after last night...early this morning. Jason could have been reading into Bruce’s motives, since Bruce had mostly told Jason they had found a lead and to stay in the Manor. Keeping Dick in the Manor seemed implied. Bruce hadn’t revoked his original watch Dick order.

Jason had spent twenty minutes outside of Dick’s room trying to decide how best to check in on him. Dick couldn’t be awake. He was nine. Since Dick had been in the Cave when they had gotten back, it was likely Dick hadn’t slept before hand. If, for some impossible reason, Dick was awake, Jason didn’t to want interact with Dick anyway.

All of that hesitation was meaningless because Dick wasn’t even in the room when Jason opened the door to check on him.

Jason didn’t feel a chill go down his spine as he looked at the pillows stuffed under the sheets in a poor attempt at a body. What kind of trouble could Dick even get into? Dick couldn’t leave the Manor without anyone noticing. The perimeter alarms would pick him up.

Talon was in the Cave. Even if Dick was stupid enough to talk to his evil alter ego; he wouldn’t be stupid enough to let him out.

Jason started to check the obvious places first. When Jason he the library only to remembered Alfred’s reactions and realized, while the library was an obvious place for Jason, it wasn’t so much for Dick.

The Cave was the only place Jason even knew in the Manor that Dick would be interested in going. Jason didn’t know Dick Grayson very well. Dick had to have someplace in the Manor or on the grounds he went to cool down.

All Jason could think of was the kitchen.

Jason stopped at the door to listen. If baby-bird Dick was in there, Jason didn’t want to go in unprepared. There was movement on the other side that didn’t sound like Alfred in the kitchen.

Dick was just in the kitchen. Jason didn’t feel anything like relief. He still needed to make sure Dick was...okay without committing to being followed around for the rest of the day. Jason didn’t need a reminder of why he was getting kicked.

Jason opened the door, planning on using the time warming up whatever he grabbed to evaluate Dick. He could figure out the rest from there.

When he saw who was in the kitchen, he had to adjust his plans.

“Kara, you’re still here?” Jason hadn’t expected to see Kara sitting on the counter, looking up at him from the paper she’d been reading.

“You know Lena, if I come home looking like this,” Kara waved one of her bandaged hands, “she’ll swear vengeance. You know what Lena’s like when she’s sworn vengeance.”

Jason winced thinking about the one time he’d seen Lena on a vengeance streak. That didn’t explain why Kara was here and not with her cousin or one of her other friends. She couldn’t be here about Jason. She probably just wanted closure on her case.

“Have you seen Dick?” Jason had been thrown seeing Kara there. He had a mission.

Kara tilted her head. “He’s in the Bat-cave.”

Jason blinked because Bruce had security measures for Superman. No way Kara could get around those. “How do you know?”

“Batman has lead lining the walls, however, he doesn’t have much protection from super-hearing.” Kara smiled as she tapped her ear.

Even if he wasn’t going to be Robin anymore, Jason was going to have to talk to Bruce about that. That wasn’t the point.

“He is probably down there calling the Titans.” Jason didn’t like how he sounded like he was trying to be reassuring because Kara didn’t look like she was worried. So there was on person here who need it.

“Would that be so bad.” Kara stood up from the counter. “After last night he needs a little reassurance things are going to be okay.” Jason had no idea how she made that not sound like an accusation.

“Do you want to check on him?” Kara offered.

Jason nodded, still having no idea why he was worried.

* * *

“As a fellow parent to a Snow White, I’m doing this all for you, my Lord.” The Queen stretched her arms out in a grandiose gesture. Bruce somehow got stiffer than he’d been. “You see while we weren’t properly introduced during my return to the world, I feel the similarities between us. The troubles that come from having to care for wayward children who aren’t your own. I was worried yours would give you the same heartbreak mine had given me. I couldn’t allow that for a fellow parent.”

“You decided to intervene. How kind.” Zatanna moved closer to Bruce. It wasn’t much of a comfort, but it was all she could do with the Queen in the room with them.

“It is a kindness, Dearie. I gazed into the future to see for myself what troubles were brewing. Oh the horrors I saw.” The Queen sounded a little to pleased to be selling the sympathetic kindred spirit. “Having to put down your own children is a terrible thing for a parent. I couldn’t let my Zatanna’s Dark Knight go through such a thing. With his gentle heart he would fail.”

“This is your plan to make sure that won’t happen?” Zatanna had never heard Bruce’s voice sound as dark as it did now.

“So clever, my Lord. My original scheme,” the Queen gave a little smirk when she said scheme, “was to use your second son. I believe the saying now, ‘is to kill two birds with one stone’, so appropriate. Did you know Snow White changed my story more than those fools in my book shared with you. The Prince who saved her was the second victim of the iron slippers. I couldn’t allow such terrible fate for sweet Kara.”

“You wanted Supergirl and I to see Jason from a possible future so we would reject him,” Bruce grounded out. If this had been about Zachary, Zatanna always admired his restraint, she would have already attacked. Now, at least, the similarities to the Kryptonian Flame-Bird’s Lament made sense. Kara had caught the Queen’s attention.

“You believe me capable of driving two of the gentlest hearts to rejecting one of their children and the other her lover.” The Queen laughed in shrill amusement. “It’s been too long since I’ve had such flattery lavished on me. Would it be I were capable of such a feat. Such things would I do for this world.”

The Queen shook her head in an attempt to compose herself. “Your heir would have seen what he would become. You prodigal is quite a different prince. He’s way is more...dynamic.”

“Snow White’s stay with the dwarves gave her the tools to defeat me. She didn’t learn her malice from them. Your eldest’s corruption is of a similar nature. Roosting with the Owls didn’t give his corruption shape, merely the tools to wield it. Talons as it were. If not for Daniel’s folly I wouldn’t have seen the elegant solution for you heartbreak.”

“What solution?” Zatanna snapped.

* * *

“Where do you think you’re going?” Jason stormed over to baby-bird Dick who was in the process of putting on his utility belt. “I don’t know if you were listening or not. There is a malevolent magical something out there that is looking for you. You’re going to sneak out of the cave to play Robin?”

“Dick, you need to stay in the Cave. If anything happens to Bruce and Zatanna, Jason and I can deal with that,” Kara tried to sooth. Which she almost did because both Dick and Jason looked at her with incredulity.

If there was anyone who didn’t need to be around when there were malevolent magical somethings around, it was Kara. She was practical a mummy. Jason didn’t know how she was moving around with the burns she had. Super healing could only go so far.

“You don’t understand I have to fix this before they break the enchantment,” Dick pleaded with them. “I don’t have anymore time.”

“Fix what?” Jason knew Dick didn’t care about his relationship with Bruce or Dick Grayson really. What else was there to fix? Dick’s life was perfect and when Jason was gone Bruce’s would be too. Maybe Nightwing and Batman would get back together when Jason was gone.

“The future.” Dick waved his arms around the cave in distress. “It’s all wrong. I’m not supposed to be like this.”

“Let’s talk about this-” Kara started, softly, before their was a dull thud and a green glow behind Jason.

Jason was already reacting before his brain fully identified what he was seeing: kyptonite.

Jason grabbed a stunned Dick, pulling him away...away from Kara. Who was on the ground hurt. Jason was going to come back. All he had to do was get Dick out of the way first.

Jason felt something cut through the space they’d just been in. It felt a lot like throwing knives.

Talon.

Dick let Talon out!

* * *

“I would think it was obvious, Dearie. Richard Grayson is the reason, my Lord, ended up with so many Snow Whites in his care. If the baby bird were to die so early in his stay, the Dark Knight wouldn’t collect the rest of the flock.”

Zatanna frowned. Nothing about what the Queen was saying made sense to her; however, Bruce understood.

“Tell us how to break the enchantment.” Bruce stepped forwards. Zatanna shifted, readying herself for a fight. Reminding herself the Queen would keep this on their playing field.

“Now, my Lord, you are the Detective. All the clues to resolving my enchantment are at you disposal. I can be gracious, though.” The Queen revealed Flame-Bird’s Lament from the air around her and then causally tossing the apple towards Zatanna. Who caught the apple instinctively only for it to melt in her hands and gather on the floor. When the last of the apple was pooled at Zatanna’s feet, it shifted into a golden snake.

“Are you saying Flame-Bird’s Lament was a red herring?” Zatanna said, jokingly, as she watched the snake dart back towards the Queen. Having them spend time examing a magical item wouldn’t have had the drama the Queen was looking for in her stories.

“Oh Dearie, I’ll miss you.” The Queen almost sounded sincere. She then leaned down allowing the snake to slitter up her arm. “I’ll miss this place. Stories are simple to tell when you are a peasant.”

Zatanna looked to Bruce to see if he was interested in escalating the situation as much as she was. Bruce gave her a negative with the shake of his head.

“Now, now. Let’s all leave this exchange in a civil manner.” The Queen shook her finger at Zatanna. “You should be leaving with haste. The finale has started without you.”

Another burst of colors and lights flared through the shop. When Zatanna’s eyes cleared, all that remained was Bruce and Zatanna and a vacant alley. Zatanna examined the alley amazed there was no trace of magic. The Queen couldn’t leave her favorite playthings behind.

“We need to get back to the Cave. The boys are in danger.”

Zatanna didn’t question as she began to cast her spell.

* * *

“I don’t understand,” Baby-bird Dick mumbled still in shock. While it would make Dick entirely useless in combat, it also meant he wouldn’t get in the way. Jason had Dick’s utility belt off him without the kid even knowing.

They were behind the barrier Jason had constructed earlier. Overall not the best place to be in the Cave at the moment. There was the creepy cell as the major visual of the place. Now they were cut off from all of the major exists from the Cave, Talon could just back-flip over the barrier. Kara was on the other side at the mercy of Talon.

Jason already had his hands over the explosive section of Dick’s utility belt. He was grateful Bruce hadn’t done much of a redesign when he’d upgraded Jason’s from Dick’s. Talon was a zombie. Jason knew Bruce was lax with the no-kill rules when supernatural monsters were involved. Except the easy solution of tossing a few bombs over wouldn’t work because Kara was over there and vulnerable. While killing zombie Dick Grayson would likely be satisfying for Jason there was the possibility he would be killing baby-bird Dick as well.

That meant Jason was going to have to go with the traditional Robin way of handling things.

First though, Jason tossed a fistful of flash pellets over the barrier, pretty sure that would slow Talon down a little.

“We were supposed to fix things.” Dick was starting to shiver.

“Yeah, well, who’s fault do you think all of this is,” Jason said trying to snap Dick out of his shock. Trying to listen for Talon wasn’t working. Not that Jason had thought it would.

“Mine.” Dick was focusing on Jason now. Didn’t he look pathetic.

Jason jabbed a few items he pulled from the utility belt into Dick’s hands. They were mostly junk items: caltrops, some smoke bombs, a whistle, and a few assorted objects that hadn’t made it into Jason’s belt. Nothing at all that would do much. Jason knew how empowering having Robin equipment could be even if you knew it was useless.

“Did you even think about Talon feeling the same way?”

Dick shook his head. “I wouldn’t kill myself.” With that said Dick started trying to get to his feet. Jason pinned him against the barrier. He could practically feel Talon recovering on the other side.

Okay, Dick was ready to move, now for the fun part, making Robin obey him.

Jason tried his best Batman impression. “I’m going to be the distraction. You are going to contact Bruce and Zatanna.” If Talon had the kyptonite, then he probably, disabled communications in the Cave. Dick Grayson was clever and would figure a way around that. “You are going to leave the Cave.”

“I can help. We can-”

“Robin do as your told.” Jason was pretty sure he nailed Bruce that time. He shoved Dick, behind him, away from the barrier. With a breath, Jason flipped over the barrier. He tried to remind himself that Talon hadn’t killed Zatanna earlier in the evening.

Kara was lying on the ground, clutching her eyes from the flash grenades. Jason would have winced, expect Talon was standing over her taking up most of Jason’s attention.

“Jay, you didn’t open with the real explosives. I wouldn’t have guessed you had more restraint when you were a kid than an adult.” Talon was teasing or his voice was. His face was blank. Combined with the glow of the kyptonite this made for a disturbing sight.

“I doubt you know me any better than Dick Grayson does now.” Jason throw back with more heat than he’d intended. If Talon wanted to talk Jason, shouldn’t be antagonizing him into a fight Jason couldn’t win.

Talon shrugged and without facial cues Jason wasn’t sure what Talon meant. “You should just hand Robin over to me, little wing.” Didn’t that nickname sound as condescending as the first time Dick had called him that. Other than the context, this whole conversation was starting to remind Jason of his first meeting with Dick. Other than the context.

“Yeah, no. You’re going to have to commit suicide like everyone else.” Jason rolled his last flash pellet in his right hand.

“Robin ruined you life, Jason.” Talon pulled a glove off his hand to display a scar across his palm. “This is how you started saying hi to your siblings.”

Talon calling Jason a sibling nearly rocked him more than the implications of what future Jason had done. The last time he’d worked with Bruce, hadn’t Bruce called Jason out for being too violent. No, there was no reason to believe Talon wasn’t lying.

“I’m sure you deserved the scar.” Jason tossed the flash pellet the instant he saw Talon shift. The plan was simple: go for the kyptonite, then keep trying to delay Talon until Supergirl was back in action or Batman and Zatanna arrived.

Jason hadn’t considered Talon had been trained in blind fighting by the same person Jason had.

In the end, Talon had Jason pinned to the ground before Jason threw a punch or even got within five feet of Kara.

“Now that’s more like the Jason I know.” Talon sounded like he was smirking. Jason growled trying to throw him off. “You should have gone for the psychological approach, that’s what Bruce would have done.”

Jason growled again. This was their first meeting all over again.

Talon chuckled then turned his attention to the surrounding cave to address baby-bird Dick. “Come out, Robin. You still want to help Bruce don’t you. This is the only way.”

“This is the only way to freak Bruce out for the rest of his life” Jason shouted. He could still do his job. All he had to do was keep Talon occupied. “What if baby bird isn’t your past? I’ll still be Robin. That isn’t going to change.”

“Good try, Jay. I know you aren’t going to be Robin for much longer,” Talon said turning his attention to Jason.

Jason flinched, that wasn’t anything he didn’t already know. “So why are you bothering?”

“As nice as it would be to make sure the rest of you don’t turn out the way you will. That’s more of a secondary objective.” Talon adjusted his grip on Jason and addressed the Cave and baby-bird Dick again. “You see, Robin, Jason tries to kill Bruce a few times. He didn’t ever succeed. We do.”

Jason went still. That had to be a lie. Talon...Talon didn’t sound like he was lying. This is how you started saying hi to your siblings. Talon’s words rolled in Jason’s head.

“You shouldn’t feel too bad. You kill him to save the world after all. Everyone’s going to tell you that. Jason’s going to tell you that. In a less Alfred approved way.” Talon said the last part, fondly.

Talon was insane. Then Talon would be if half of what he was saying was true.

Jason noticed movement near the barrier.

“You’re going to feel terrible because if you hadn’t created this mess, you would have found a way to save the world and Bruce.” Talon was still caught up in his monologue and hadn’t seen Dick. Jason half wished he hadn’t. Dick was clearly eyeing the kyptonite. He probably hadn’t even called in help. Jason could still work this.

“How did you kill Bruce?” Jason turned as much as he could to look up a Talon. “I’m thinking knives. You seemed to have picked up a thing for them when you got the new makeover.”

Talon froze. Jason could do psychological as well as any of them. “Did you get me into knives too? Because right now, a knife in the hand isn’t exactly how I would do a hostile hello. Explosives are more my thing. You know that though, right, Dick.”

Jason had Talon’s undivided attention. Now that he knew Talon had killed Bruce, Jason wasn’t sure how he was going to survive the attention.

“No...I didn’t.” Talon sounded shaken.

“Well, since you’re here to stop the future, who did?” Jason had no idea if he even wanted to know. His mouth was just running at this point. How long would it take for Dick to get to the kyptonite?

“You-” Talon moved. There as a thud. Jason had heard that sound before he’d gone to live with Bruce. He struggled to turn and see if Dick was- Kara was somehow not lying on the ground in pain from the kyptonite. She’d been able to get herself up to shield Dick. A knife hilt was sticking out of her back.

The kyptonite. Kara wasn’t invulnerable around that.

“Kara!” Jason shouted, shoving with all his might against Talon, who wouldn’t budge. “Robin! Get the kyptonite!” It was right there in front of Dick. All he had to do was just get it away from Kara and she’d be fine.

For a second Talon was off Jason. Before Jason could react, Talon had smashed Jason’s head into the Cave floor. “Good try, little wing. I invented the art of distraction.”

Jason wasn’t unconsciousness. He just couldn’t get his brain to coordinate with his limbs. Talon was slowly walking towards Dick and Kara. Dick seemed to be fumbling with Kara and trying to shield her.

Talon was on top of them with a knife in hand.

“Batman!” Jason and Dick shouted in unison as a dark form appeared out of the shadows and slammed into Talon. Talon was driven away from Dick and Kara.

Jason winced as the noise stabbed into his brain.

“Kiddos can’t leave you alone for a minutes” Zatanna walked into Jason’s view.

“Zatanna, Kara’s hurt.” Dick pleaded as he was still struggling to hold Kara up. Zatanna gave him a curt nod.

“I see that. Looks like Jason’s had his bell rung too.” Zatanna bent down picked up the chunk of kyptonite and spoke. “Og kcab ot erehw uoy gnoleb.”

The rock along with it’s freaky green glow were gone. Kara gasped, “Would someone pull the knife out, please?”

Jason started struggling to his knees. Getting to Kara was going to take too long.

Zatanna crouched down beside Kara and Dick. “If I use magic, will it hurt you or heal you?”

“You should be able to heal me.” Kara’s voice was barely there.

Zatanna rubbed her hands. “Let’s see if I’ve got enough juice for the both of you. Yrjni gnilaeh.”

Jason’s head was clear, and what pain he’d been in was gone. “Thanks Zatanna.” He half shouted as he rushed over to Kara. Who didn’t have a knife in her back anymore or any of the bandages. Was there a reason Zatanna hadn’t done that earlier.

“Are you okay?” Kara smiled up at Jason. “I’m good.” Jason smiled back.

“What about Bruce?” Dick, no longer needing to support Kara, had leaped to his feet fully intending on jumping into the fray. Now that Kara was fine, Jason was thinking the same.

“Should I break that up?” Kara asked Zatanna.

Zatanna shook her head. “No, Bruce can handle Talon. We need to figure out this enchantment.”

“You don’t understand. Talon killed Bruce,” Dick argued back in a huff of frustration. Jason had to agree with him again. Then they were both Robin and they would think the same about Batman.

“You don’t need all of us?”

“Look, kids, breaking the enchantment will handle Talon. I’m going to need all of your input. Kara,” Zatanna turned her attention on Kara who was getting on her feet. “What exactly saved the Kryptonian Nightwing in the Flame-Bird’s Lament?”

Kara frowned as she pondered the question. “Flame-bird’s love is how I would usually answer that. I don’t think that’s the solution here.”

Jason winced as Bruce took a glancing blow from Talon and Dick, who was beside Jason, made a noise of distress.

“It could be. I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Queen of Fables; but she’s, the one who orchestrated this fiasco. She’s been known to have s true love’s kiss break the spell.” Zatanna folded her arms as she spoke. “If it’s that, we could just call the Titans.”

“Kori isn’t on Earth right now,” Jason informed them. “So that’s not going to be happening. Would the ‘Queen of Fables’ know that?”

“Why are we still talking? Bruce is in trouble.” Dick pulled on Jason’s arm.

“That’s where he wants to be.” Zatanna dismissed them with a wave of her hand. “If he gets into any real trouble Kara, will be there before anyone can blink. Right now Bruce wants to work things out with Talon. Just let him try.”

“In most of the stories Flame-Bird keeps Nightwing sane by her light. Those were Thara favorites.” Kara spoke looking away from the group with nostalgia. “Mine was the one where Flame-Bird shared her secret of how she wasn’t effected by the apple. I don’t know how it would help.”

“We’ve got two of the greatest Detective’s here. They’ll figure it out.” Zatanna rubbed Kara’s arm encouragingly.

“Flame-Bird told Nightwing she just didn’t care.” Kara shrugged, helplessly. “Her death, the wickedness others would do, and her own wickedness didn’t matter to her. All the evil that Flame-Bird saw when she bit into the apple would eventually turn into good things. She never actually saw any of the darkness, just the light. I don’t think it relates to what’s happening.”

“Doesn’t it?” Jason offered hesitantly. Myths and fairy tales never made any sense to him. “The hero in the Earth stories had to overcome his own darkness. So maybe that’s all baby-bird has to do. Let the light in.”

Everyone turned to Dick who pulled himself behind Jason, shyly. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“I think you’re on the right track.” Zatanna crouched in front of baby-bird Dick. “You know there is no reason to be scared of the future.”

Jason felt Dick’s hands tighten on his pants. “I’m not scared of the future. I don’t like the future because everything is wrong.”

“Is it all bad.” Kara joined Zatanna. “If you hadn’t run away from home, then you wouldn’t have formed the Titans and Jason wouldn’t have gotten the chance to be Robin.” Kara gave Jason a dazzling smile. “I wouldn’t have gotten to meet Jason.”

Jason felt himself flush for a moment before he realized Zatanna was giving him a pointed look. Of course, he was supposed to be part of this pep talk.

“You don’t even know if any of this is forever.” Jason couldn’t believe he was about to share this in front of everyone. “When we met the first time, you gave me one of your old costumes and your number in case I needed to talk.”

Dick looked up at Jason with his eyes wide and hopeful, “Really.”

“Okay he’s cheered up. Why isn’t anything happening?” Jason turned away from Dick to watch Bruce and Talon’s continuing fight. They still looked evenly matched.

“The Queen of Fables likes a little drama in her stories. One of the reasons Bruce didn’t want to just lock Talon back up. We’ve got to put on a nice show. So Dick you need to go over there and confront your dark future,” Zatanna explained. Jason understood most of Bruce’s villains had certain tasted. Usually he didn’t have to perform a drama for the villain.

“What?”

“How?” Dick asked and Jason spoke in union. Of course, Dick would go along with the crazy plan. He was willing to go along with the plan of his evil future self.

“You’re a showman aren’t you. My best assistant at that. Do what’s natural for you.” Zatanna gave Dick an encouraging smile.

“Don’t worry we’re all going to be here in case things go wrong,” Kara added, gently squeezing Dick’s shoulder.

“Okay.” Dick nodded to himself before pulling away from Jason. “Don’t worry. I can do this.”

Jason couldn't frown at Dick, even if he wanted to. Really, this wasn’t even the most dangerous thing Dick had even done as Robin. Jason was the one being ridiculous. It was just Bruce had told Jason to watch Dick.

“You’ve got this Robin.” Dick beamed up at Jason’s comment.

“Okay.” Dick turned away from them. Squaring his shoulders baby-bird Dick approached the fight, which, during their discussion had turned from a stalemate to Talon having the upper hand. He had Bruce against the wall with one of his knives at Bruce’s throat.

Kara caught Jason’s arm as he began to move. “Give Dick a chance,” She whispered.

“Hey murder me!” Dick shouted to draw Talon’s attention away from Bruce. Talon shifted to look at his younger self. His face as blank as before. “Hey, mini me.”

“I want you to know it’s going to be okay. Maybe...maybe Bruce is gone but that’s okay. You have Jason and all those other people you mentioned. Won’t they be sad if you’re gone too.”

Jason couldn’t believe that was how Dick was going to go about this. He was going to get stabbed by his evil future self.

“We can’t make up for anything if we’re dead. Mom and Dad wouldn’t want that. You still think they’re happy Bruce took us in don’t you? If they...if they hadn’t died, we wouldn’t have met Bruce or Alfred...or the Titans. We had a lot of good times with Bruce, right. Those times were worth it weren’t they? So why can’t we have good times after Bruce? We had good times with the Titans without Bruce.”

Talon tensed.

Kara and Zatanna shifted behind Jason in preparation for whatever was coming. For himself, Jason pulled out a shuriken from Dick’s utility belt.

Bruce was still. Dick’s back was turned to Jason. Jason was still pretty sure Dick was giving Talon his brightest, hopeful smile.

Talon started choking.

He collapsed to his knees. Bruce followed him, not quite touching Talon as his choking turned violent.

Baby-bird Dick was gone. The shuriken was missing from Jason’s hand, along with the utility belt around Jason’s waist.

As he disappeared, something bright and golden came out of Talon-no, Nightwing.

There was Dick Grayson in his Nightwing costume kneeling on the ground in a daze where Talon had been.

“Baby-bird Dick did it.” Kara brushed her shoulder against Jason’s. Jason nodded mutely back to her.

Behind them Jason could hear Zatanna saying, “That was sweet. I’m not sure that was dramatic.”

Kara turned to Zatanna. “Kal said she’s into fairy tales. Lots of them have sweet endings.”

Jason couldn’t really focus on their conversation. Bruce didn’t like to make a scene so he wouldn’t like Jason go with the flow here. At the moment Bruce was too focused on Dick for anything else.

“I-I’m alive.” Dick had stopped choking and was in the process of moving onto hyperventilating. “Bruce you’re alive. I thought-”

Bruce had taken his cowl and cape off to wrap Dick, like he used to when Jason was younger. No reason to assume Bruce hadn’t done that for Dick.

“We’re good?” Bruce rubbed Dick’s back then looked over to Jason. Jason tensed because he had been so sure Bruce wouldn’t fire him with everyone around. Here Bruce was about to. Kara wasn’t going to want him hanging around anymore.

“Good job, Robin.”

Dick looked vaguely in Jason’s direction. “Jason’s here too.” If not for the weirdness, Jason would have felt slighted. Bruce had said he was Robin, he’d done a good job. And besides Dick was clearly not mentally with them.

Kara bumped Jason’s shoulder. “Go on.” She smiled at him when Jason looked over to her. Kara had been trying to tell him everything hadn’t been terrible the last few months. Maybe she’d been right.

Jason walked over to Bruce and Dick and crouched down in front of them. “Hey, baby-bird.” Then Dick hugged him or them, because Bruce was caught up in the hug too.

Jason did his best not to stiffen. “This isn’t going to be permanent,” Jason stated in case Dick in his weird state took it the wrong way. Jason shot Bruce a questioning look. Bruce nodded towards Zatanna. Great, more magic might be involved in this one.

“Has anyone seen the apple?” Jason used Zatanna’s question to pull away from the group hug.

“Yeah, it’s right-” Jason started to point where he’d last seen the little bit of gold lying on the Cave floor. It was now glowing and pulsating. Okay, there was going to be more magic.

Bruce got in front of Jason and Dick, which was probably more necessary than Jason wanted to believe. At least, Dick wasn’t clinging to Jason.

The pulsing apple bit started growing and taking shape into...a dragon-man. Jason’s first weird case had pulled out all the stops.

“I forgot about the Zmeu.” Jason could barely hear, Zatanna over the...Zmeu’s roar. This was the thing that blew up Kara and killed Herring and Grimm. Jason wasn’t worried. Zatanna was here and magic was her thing. Jason did put an arm on Dick in case Jason need to drag him off. Now that Dick wasn’t so little anymore that was going to be a bit tricky.

There was Kara on the other side of the Zmeu. Jason wasn’t going to be able to help her.

The Zmeu hissed at them, it’s mouth dripping fire on the Bat-cave’s floor. Was it going to attack them? Jason couldn’t read dragon-man body language.

Bruce teased. The Zmeu lunged at them. Jason half got Dick to his feet before twin red lights pieced through the Zmeu’s chest and the thing erupted in a burst of golden dust.

“Good one, Supergirl.” Zatanna stepped into the glitter cloud. “Let’s make sure we don’t get a repeat performance. Ssalg ot tsud.”

In a brief moment, the glitter spread through the cave, condensed into a palm side cloud, and drifted gently into an antique bottle Zatanna must have summoned while Jason was watching the cloud.

Zatanna popped the stopper in the bottle. “Case closed, Robin?”

Jason looked over to Dick who was standing steadily now. “I’m good.” Dick didn’t actually look or sound good. He didn’t look like he was going to start hugging Jason again, so Jason believed him.

Kara was giving Jason two of the Kryptonian equivalents of thumbs up. Jason felt himself smiling at her.

Bruce put a hand on Jason’s shoulder and squeezed. Jason hadn’t actually done anything, at all, the gestures were nice.

“Case closed.”


	7. Chapter 7

Zatanna walked into her changing room and tossed her hat in a random direction knowing it would find its way onto her stand. The Teen Titan’s showing up for her last Gotham show had been an unexpected pleasure. Dick might be getting replaced by Beast Boy as her favorite assistant. Being able to turn into animals was a nice check mark on the resume. The kid’s humor wasn’t all that bad either. 

Zatanna might take up that offer in New York. After all, if the local Superheroes were going to be regulars, Beast Boy was promising assistant. 

“Good show, Dearie.” There standing at the door to Zatanna’s dressing room, the door Zatanna had closed moments before, was the Hag giving Zatanna a round of applause.

Zatanna sighed as she leaned against the cabinet. This wasn’t at all how she’d planned to end her last show in Gotham. “Why are you here?” 

“I paid for the backstage tour, Dearie.” The Hag proudly shoved the backstage ID in Zatanna’s face. 

“That’s not really what I meant.” Zatanna had no idea what game the Queen of Fables wanted to play here. Whatever it was Zatanna wasn’t in the mood.

“Well, it’s the truth. I didn’t plan for you to get mixed up in my Dark Knight story.” The Hag stuffed the ID in her blouse as she glanced around the room in an over-exaggerated fashion. 

“Looking for something?” Zatanna said smugly. Strange how quickly Zatanna was adjusting to how the Queen of Fables played her little games. While the Queen of Fables could just take the bottle from Zatanna, the Hag had too use other methods. 

“Not at all, Dearie. I wanted to apologize that my first story with you wasn’t more of a romantic one.” The Hag put a hand over her heart and didn’t look at all apologetic. 

“My love life doesn’t need your intervention. Speaking of that... if you don’t want a tussle with the Justice League, I’d say you should leave.” 

“Fine.” The Hag threw up her arms in a huff. “I was here for an ulterior motive. Daniel wants his tongue back.” 

The Hag held up her hand and the golden snake peered up from behind her sleeve. “You can’t be a proper serpent without a tongue.” 

“What’s in it for me?” Zatanna smirked as the Hag scowled at her. “You did come to haggle for it didn’t you?” 

“A favor?” Zatanna didn’t show how thrown she was by that. Honestly, Zatanna thought the Hag should pawn off her shop for the bottle. 

“I don’t think so. Your favors don’t seem to work out for the people your giving them too.” 

“Dearie, don’t be so self righteous. It doesn’t suit you. From how I see things, I didn’t just save your Dark Knight and his little flock from a dark future; I saved your whole world. Wasn’t the first time I’d done it either.” The Hag puffed herself up in indignation. Zatanna could half believe she wasn’t a mad fairy Queen.

“What if we hadn’t figured things out,” Zatanna challenged. 

The Hag shrugged. “You would still have your Dark Knight and the world still would have been saved. This is my first story where no matter the outcome, everything works out in the end.” 

“Yeah, see I don’t think I would have liked the other outcome. If you don’t have anything else to trade, then we’re done here.” Zatanna folded her arms. 

The Hag frowned, put a hand to her mouth and tapped on her lower lip before snapping her fingers. “If a favor is too much for your sensibilities, what about a secret. No harm in those.” 

Zatanna shook her head. “Bruce is going to walk in here any minute.” 

The Hag groaned. “I’ll have you know if Daniel didn’t have so many fresh ideas he can't share them without his tongue, I wouldn’t be giving you this generous offer. I offer a request.” 

“How is that different from a favor?” Zatanna wasn’t as savvy about oaths as she was with deals with the devil. 

“With a request you get to set the terms.” The Hag gestured with annoyance. “So if you want me to stop one of my stories, regardless of how you’ll probably ruin the happy ending I have planned for the players, I’ll stop telling my tale. You can and should make other stipulations. I think that’s a fair exchange.” 

If she wasn’t lying, Zatanna would have to agree.

“Alright make your oath.” They’d known each other long enough to know Zatanna was always faithful to her side of a bargain.

The Hag was gone with no fan fair leaving the air around them filled with a solemn weighted magic and revealing the resplendent Queen. 

The Queen spoke in her language and the words and runes shifted in the air around them. Zatanna didn’t know the language now anymore than she had at the beginning of the story. However, she could feel the promise of those words in her bones. 

Then it was the Hag in front of Zatanna holding her hand out for the bottle containing the piece of the apple...of Daniel. 

Using a few words of magic, Zatanna pulled the bottle out of the dimension where she’d stored it and placed it into the Hag’s hands. 

The snake gave Zatanna something that looked like a bow before coiling around the bottle. 

“Not now, you’ll make a mess of Zatanna’s changing room. Thanks Dearie for being so reasonable. Now I don’t want to overstay my visit.” The Hag started for the door. 

“See you around.” Zatanna was pretty sure she hadn’t made a deal with the devil. Even if she had, it wasn’t like she actually would have to make a request. While Zatanna didn’t know exactly what part Daniel Herring played in all of this, she wasn’t feeling cruel enough to deprive him of a piece of himself. 

“Next we meet you will be grateful to know of my intervention,” the Hag said in the Queen’s voice before disappearing out the door in a completely mundane fashion. 

Zatanna wasn’t going to try and figure that one out. 

“I didn’t know you were expecting a guest,” Bruce teased from the doorway. This was exactly how Zatanna had planned her last show in Gotham. 

“She had a pass.” Zatanna walked over to Bruce with a tease of her own. 

“Are you planning on giving her the backstage tour?” Bruce gave her a coy little smirk. “I can comeback later.” 

Zatanna put her arms around Bruce’s neck and felt his hands go around her waist. “There’s only one person I want to give the backstage tour in Gotham.” 

The Queen of Fables would be happy, since this was all ending in a kiss.


End file.
